Like almost every new month, February 2023 brings some important changes, including new laws, for people living in Germany. For example, no more compulsory masks on long-distance trains, more drinking fountains in public spaces and 16-year olds will also be allowed to vote in the European Parliament elections in Germany in future. These and other regulations come into force in …
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Germany’s Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has called for quick sentences of perpetrators of the New Year’s Eve riots in several German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Bonn, Dortmund and Essen. During a visit to a fire station in the Berlin district of Neukölln on Friday, Ms Faeser said juvenile offenders should immediately feel a quick legal consequence of their …
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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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2023 brings new laws and regulations for people living in Germany. For example, price brakes are to reduce energy costs, health insurance will become more expensive and the 49-euro ticket will be launched. These and other changes at a glance. ——– Price brakes for electricity, gas and district heatingFrom 1 March – retroactive to 1 January – the Federal Government’s …
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By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.Learn more Load video Always unblock YouTube A migrant’s personal story of return, resolution, and resilience Tübingen – It’s a warm summer day in 2021. Musa Coker sits in the office of his return counsellor. He has visited the small office in Southwest Germany multiple times this year, seeking information, advice …
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By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.Learn more Load video Always unblock YouTube If you’re thinking of returning to your country of origin but have questions about what life is like in the country or what support you can receive once you’ve gone back, virtual counselling may provide you with the help you need. Virtual Counselling is …
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Only with permanent immigration of around 400,000 people per year, could the population in Germany grow to 90 million inhabitants by 2070, according to a new report by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Germany currently has 84 million inhabitants. The report is the result of the 15th coordinated population projection by Destatis, which was presented in Berlin recently. The statisticians …
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The citizen’s income (Bürgergeld) will be introduced in Germany in January. The Bundesrat, the upper house of the federal parliament, approved the social reform legislation on 25 November after the lower house, the Bundestag, had earlier passed it. The Bürgergeld, which will replace the basic income support for job-seekers (Hartz IV) that was introduced in 2005, is a basic allowance …
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The German parliament, the Bundestag, passed amendments to the residence and asylum laws on 4 December. The governing coalition calls the two laws passed the first phase of its plans to reform the country’s migration laws. One of the new laws, named “opportunity for right to stay” (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht), which enters into force on 1 January 2023, provides for the grant …
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After years of protests led by the Black community and their White German allies, a square and a street in the African Quarter in Berlin-Wedding were renamed on Friday. Both had bore the names of German officials who were in the forefront of Germany’s colonisation of East Africa in the 1880s and 1890s, often employing brutal military force. The former …
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The year 2022 is drawing to a close, but it still brings some changes with it in December. Among other things, gas and district heating customers will receive relief payments, the winter timetable of Deutsche Bahn will commence and the ban on fire crackers ends. Here’s an overview of new laws and regulations that will come into force. —— More …
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According to a ruling of Germany’s highest court on constitutional matters, the reduction of benefits for single adult asylum-seekers in group accommodation facilities is unconstitutional. The regulation, according to which asylum-seekers living in group accommodation receive ten per cent less benefits than refugees living in flats, violates the basic right to be guaranteed a minimum subsistence level worthy of human …
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken out in favour of reforming Germany’s citizenship law. The country needs “better regulations” for naturalisation, the SPD politician said in his video message “Kanzler kompakt”. People who have come to Germany in the past decades have contributed greatly to making the German economy so strong, Scholz said. “Some have lived here for a very, very …
Read More »The Sierra Leone Community Berlin Brandenburg e.V. (SLCBB) has launched a fundraising campaign for a community centre in the federal capital. According to the chairperson of the SLCBB, Daphne Decker-Hora, the association is seeking to acquire a 50 square metres (m2) property in Berlin that will function as a meeting point for Sierra Leoneans and their friends as well as …
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In its efforts to bring African associations as well as Christian and Muslim organisations together, The African Network of Germany (TANG) convened its first network meeting on Sunday 20 November 2022. The event, attended by 22 participants who represented 15 groups, took place in the expansive office of TANG in the federal capital. In his welcome address, Femi Awoniyi, the …
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The Honourable Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, will be honoured on Saturday (19 November) in Berlin, Germany. The FCT comprises the city of Abuja and its satellite towns. The Award/Gala Night, at which the 52-year-old minister will be bestowed with an award for excellence in public service, will take place …
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The first Network Meeting of African social, cultural, development, national and religious organisations in Berlin takes place on Sunday, 20 November 2022. Convened by The African Network of Germany TANG e.V., the meeting is to bring African organisations together to get to know each other and collectively identify the needs of their community and deliberate on how to address these …
Read More »The German Africa Foundation (DAS) honours the scientists for their personal achievements in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic and as representatives of a highly educated, transnational research community that is at the forefront of medical research not only in Africa but also internationally.
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Like every month, November 2022 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. Here’s an overview of what the new month brings —– Sales tax on gas reduced Rising energy prices have already become a major burden for many citizens. For this reason, the federal government is temporarily reducing the VAT rate on the supply of gas. This will …
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Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned of “tougher years” ahead for Germany and also called for action on climate change and pledged support for Ukraine. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivered what has been dubbed a “state of the nation” speech on Friday (28 October) at his official residence, Bellevue Palace. The theme of his remarks was “what connects us makes us stronger.” …
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THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.