_GERMANY SLIDER

Germany: Iranian arrested for planning terror attacks

Police and prosecutors suspect an Iranian national of preparing an “Islamist-motivated attack” using ricin and cyanide. It has not yet been decided whether he will be brought before a magistrate. A 32-year-old man has been taken into police custody in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia for allegedly preparing an “Islamist-motivated attack,” police and prosecutors said in a joint …

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Germany: Non-EU citizens to be allowed to immigrate for work soon — Minister

Federal Labour Minister Hubertus Heil has announced an imminent reform of Germany’s immigration law to address the shortage of skilled workers in the country. The shortage of skilled workers has risen to a new high in Germany, affecting 49.7 percent of companies in July, according to the ifo Institute. Germany would have to pull out all the stops to secure …

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Family man to be deported after 35 years in Germany for violating residence permit rules

The threatened deportation of a 3-person Vietnamese family is causing protest as the man has lived in Germany since 1987 A Vietnamese man, who has been living in Germany for 35 years, is to be deported together with his wife and five-year-old daughter. The case is causing outrage in the eastern German state of Saxony. Here’s the unusual story: The …

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Black activist receives German national honour

Afro-German activist Katharina Oguntoye has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz). The Order, colloquially known as the Federal Cross of Merit, is awarded to German and foreign citizens for political, social-economic and intellectual achievements as well as for serving the Federal Republic of Germany, such as through social engagement. Oguntoye (63) was presented …

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The 9€ Ticket: What you should know about it

To offset the impact of rising energy prices caused by the Ukraine war and encourage the use of public transport, the German government introduced a subsidised nationwide ticket which costs only 9 euros per month for travels on public transport during ninety days in the summer. The upper chamber of the federal parliament approved the plan last Friday, clearing the …

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Berlin holds seminars on self-employment for people with migrant background

ANNOUNCEMENT The extraordinary seminar programme offered by the State of Berlin on the topic of start-ups and self-employment for people with a migration background interested in starting a business begins a new round in May! For exactly 20 years, the state of Berlin has been strengthening and honouring the economic growth and cultural diversity of Berlin’s start-ups and has been running the …

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German-Ghanaian actress and author releases new book

Hamburg-based actress, author, model and TV presenter Dayan Kodua has issued an alert for her new book My Black Skin: Life Journeys. The German-Ghanaian beauty, the first woman of African descent to win a state beauty contest in Germany, published the book alert on her Facebook page on Friday, announcing: “The coffee table book comes in two languages: English & …

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New statistics on Germany’s inhabitants with migration background published

As the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Tuesday, 22.3 million people living in Germany have a so-called migration background. This corresponds to a population share of 27.2 per cent. People with a migration background are those who themselves or at least one parent was not born with German citizenship. According to the data determined on the basis of …

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Germany: New Laws and Regulations in April 2022

Some important changes in general regulations and laws enter into force in April. For example, many coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions will finally be abolished, people working in nursing care will receive more money and those who move from one place to the other for job-related reasons will be able to make bigger deductions from their taxes, among others. —— COVID-19 restrictions …

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Germany: COVID rules relaxed despite high infection rate

The amended Infection Protection Act was passed by the Bundestag and Bundesrat on Friday, opening a new phase in the management of the coronavirus pandemic after two years. The previous protective measures will be replaced with effect from Sunday with significantly fewer regulations: no more masks in schools, shops and restaurants. They will only remain compulsory in nursing homes, clinics …

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Ukraine: Germany promises better registration of refugees

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, speaking in the Bundestag (federal parliament) on Wednesday, said the registration of displaced persons from the war in Ukraine was currently being improved. Refugees who are admitted to initial reception centres are registered there. This should be further intensified, she said. As at Wednesday (16 March), the Federal Police had registered around 175,000 refugees from …

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Germany’s Integration Minister calls for more diversity in public institutions

Germany’s Minister of State for Migration, Refugees and Integration has said there should be more police officers, teachers and public administrative staff with a migration history. A new study, meanwhile, highlights institutional racism at German authorities. Benjamin Bathke reports. “We need more diversity in order to do away with prejudices on both sides and make authorities more aware of immigrants’ …

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Steinmeier re-elected as German President

Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been re-elected for a second term as the President of Germany. The Federal Assembly confirmed the 66-year-old Social Democrat in Berlin on Sunday with a large majority. He will thus remain Germany’s head of state for another five years. After his re-election, Steinmeier gave a combative speech in which he emphasised the strength of democracy, condemned …

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Germany: Number of foreign students rises despite pandemic

The number of foreign students in Germany continues to rise even during the pandemic, a new report by the Academic Exchange Service reveals —- Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the number of foreign students in Germany has apparently increased. As the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) announced in Bonn on Tuesday, according to a survey-based forecast, between 330,000 and 350,000 …

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Germany: New Laws and Regulations in February 2022

Like at the beginning of every new month in Germany, new regulations come into force in February. These affect, among others, deadline for the submission of tax returns, validity of the EU vaccination certificate and new rules on hate online. Here’s overview of the most important changes: ——– Validity of EU vaccination certificates From 1 February, the validity of EU …

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Germany: New Laws and other Changes in 2022

The minimum wage and Hartz IV rate will rise in the new year just as postage rates and the prices of petrol and diesel will go up. New regulations on plastic shopping bags and beverage cans and plastic bottles enter into effect as well. Here are some of the changes most likely to affect most people living in Germany —– …

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Maisha celebrates 25th anniversary in Frankfurt

Maisha – African Women in Germany e.V. recently celebrated 25 years of its existence in Frankfurt. Maisha, which means “life” in Swahili, is a self-help organisation of African women in Germany founded in 1996 by Virginia Wangare Greiner. The occasion, attended by members as well as friends and partners of the organisation, was a milestone for self-organisation in the African …

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