EUROPE

Growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany, the government has warned [], voicing fears over the impact of a series of attacks on refugees in the region. In a new report presented in Berlin on 21 September, urging mainstream society to take a stronger stand against anti-migrant action, it highlighted a worrying trend — that in …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Monday that there would be no repeat of last year’s “chaotic” border opening to refugees, after a stinging loss for her party in Berlin elections. Even as she defended the “political and ethical” decision to let in one million asylum seekers in 2015 in the face of a potential humanitarian catastrophe, Merkel admitted mistakes that …

Angela Merkel has vowed to “win back trust” after her party suffered a humiliating defeat against the anti-migrant AfD in state elections. The result has been blamed on voter disenchantment with her refugee policy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday defended her government’s handling of the refugee crisis, but said the poor election result showed there was work to be …

African women from across Europe and guests from Africa gathered recently at the prestigious Maritim Hotel in the western German city of Dusseldorf. The conference with the theme “Leadership and Integration for Change” was attended by more than hundred participants. The meeting was organised by African Women in Europe ( AWE ). Founded in 2008 by Joy Wanjiru Zenz and …

The leaders of Germany, France and Italy have vowed that the European Union would survive the UK’s exit. They also urged more co-operation on security and job creation and help for young Europeans in an effort to lay the groundwork for an informal summit on the future of the EU without the UK, which will take place on 16 September …

Maisha e.V. hosted the International Conference on Political Participation of Migrant Women in Frankfurt recently. The event, featuring podium discussions and workshops, explored how women of African descent, migrant women in Germany and even refugees could better be involved in the political process to champion their interests. The conference was organised in collaboration with ASA, a programme of Engagement Global …

Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the attacks in Wurzburg and Ansbach as “Islamic terror” but assured that the country will continue to offer refuge to those fleeing war and political persecution. The attacks were shocking, distressing and depressing, the Chancellor said at a press conference in Berlin today (28 July). “Taboos of civilisation are being broken,” she said, referring to …

British Muslims are the most generous charity-givers, according to the UK’s Charity Commission, which says Muslims gave about £100 million to charities over the month of Ramadan alone. The news confirms Muslims’ reputation as being the most generous religious group when it comes to charitable donations. The Charity Commission’s Nick Donaldson described the £100 million as being the equivalent of …

David Davis, the Brexit minister, has indicated that new EU migrants who travel to Britain may be sent home to avoid a surge in immigration. Migrants already in the UK can stay. Davis, the Secretary for State for Exiting the European Union, who leads the newly established ministry dismissed the idea that the UK could expel three million migrants from …

About half of Europeans fear the arrival of refugees raises the risk of attacks in their countries, a survey published on Monday found, and many, especially in the east, see them as a burden on their economy. Washington-based Pew Research Center found the share of people believing that “refugees will increase the likelihood of terrorism in our country” was, among …

US-Nigerian poet and devel­op­ment com­mu­ni­ca­tions scholar, who teaches Yoruba at the Uni­ver­sity of Florida, Gainsville, writes about his experiences at Bonn’s first sus­tain­abilty bar camp which took place on 25 June.

Five days after the UK voted to leave the EU, the bloc’s leaders decided at a meeting in Brussels on 28 June to wait before starting the legal process for Brexit, but they insisted there was no alternative to Brexit. There was no “clamour” to trigger Article 50, British Prime Minister David Cameron said, referring to the EU treaty clause …

Despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from the “Leave” campaign, not all British citizens of African decent believe that the UK should remain in the EU. The eyes of the world are on the UK this week as it heads into its historic referendum to decide whether voters want Britain to leave the European Union (Brexit) or remain a member of …

Maazi Chukwuma Eze is the National Co-ordinator of Ndi Igbo Germany (NIG). Ndi Igbo means Igbo people, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The businessman, who is the proprietor of EZE Motors and EZE Shipping Service in Hanover, talks about the Nigerian economy, the performance of the one-year old Buhari administration, Igbo self-determination agitations and the situation …

British-Nigerian politician Festus Akinbusoye on why he’ll be voting for Britain to remain in Europe, when the country goes to the polls on 23 June. The only thing more irresponsible than keeping quiet about the likelihood of negative economic impacts of a Brexit is to pretend there won’t be any real impact at all. It is quite disingenuous of some …

An increasing number of apprenticeships in Germany, one of the cornerstones in on-the-job training, remain unfilled, the country’s federation of chambers of commerce said on 14 June, adding that refugees were not yet making up for the shortfall. “The situation on the traineeship market is becoming increasingly acute,” the head of the DIHK federation, Eric Schweitzer, told a news conference. …

There should be no place for racism in any civilised society. To fight it should be everybody’s duty, but parents in particular should be bound to take more responsibility for their children’s education, since they naturally play a crucial role in their social development. Adapting to this challenge, parents of children of African origin in Berlin, organised in an association …

African women from across Europe will gather in the western German city of Düsseldorf on 18 June. Organised by African Women in Europe (AWE) Network under the theme Leadership & Integration for Change, the one-day event will feature discussions on issues affecting African women, their career development and the opportunities for professional advancement. Among the speakers billed to speak at …

Humanitas Afrika launched a creative initiative last year to promote positive Africa in the Czech Republic. Around Africa in a Month is a platform of constructive dialogue to discuss serious issues that showcase the various contributions that the African Diaspora communities are making to the development of Africa and Europe. In this first interview in a series, Martha Ronke Ayorinde …

One hundred groups meet in Berlin, call for change in the discussion of migration issues They take our jobs. They put pressure on our social services. They bring war, diseases and uncivilised social practices. They degrade our culture and threaten our societies. Everything was better before they arrived… These are just a few of the myths about migrants and refugees …