LIVING IN GERMANY

Millions of people living in Germany regularly support parents who live abroad – but doing so often comes with significant financial, emotional and professional strain, according to a new study by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM). The research sheds light on what scholars call “transnational family relationships” – family ties that extend across national borders. In …

A free online information session on 24 March will connect asylum-seekers, refugees and other newcomers from Africa with one of Berlin’s leading student advisory services to help them navigate the city’s higher-education system. ________ For many asylum-seekers and newly arrived migrants in Berlin, the path to university education can seem daunting — complicated by unfamiliar bureaucracy, language barriers and uncertainties …

Discrimination remains a widespread reality in Germany, affecting millions of residents in their daily lives — from interactions with public authorities to experiences in shops, workplaces and public spaces, according to new research. A large-scale study based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) reveals that 13.1% of adults in Germany, roughly one in eight people, experienced discrimination within a …

Germany is poised to make political history as Cem Özdemir, a veteran Green Party politician and the son of Turkish immigrants, prepares to become the first person with Turkish roots to lead a German federal state following his party’s victory in the Baden-Württemberg state election. In the vote held on 8 March, the Green Party narrowly won the election with …

Germany’s parliament voted on Thursday to overhaul the country’s social welfare system, replacing the Bürgergeld — an unemployment benefits system introduced in 2023 — with a new one called Grundsicherung (Basic Security). The vote passed with 321 members of the Bundestag in favour and 268 against, with two abstentions, backed by the ruling coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD. The …

A series of new laws and regulations, affecting retirees, consumers, women, migrants and businesses alike, will enter into effect in March 2026. Key changes include reforms to credit scoring, expanded breast cancer screening, higher health insurance contributions, extension of war refugee protection and updates to vehicle registration rules. Here are the most important changes in March SCHUFA: Transparency in Credit …

A migration expert, Olayinka Adekunle, has called on Africans living in Berlin to actively seek out and make use of the wide range of support services provided by public and private institutions across the city. She made the appeal at an information and networking event on Social Participation and Community Networking organised by the German-African Initiative for Development and Integration …

Berlin rejected almost one in every 20 citizenship applications in 2025, as the city’s immigration authorities combine faster digital processing with significantly tougher checks aimed at combating fraud. According to figures released this week by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), 4.9 percent of all naturalisation applications reviewed last year were refused. At the same time, the authority approved a record …

Every household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag, a compulsory monthly licence fee for public broadcasting. In 2026, the fee remains €18.36 per month. This fee serves to finance public broadcasting service based on a contributory model. Who can be exempted? For people with good incomes, €18.36 per month may not matter much. But those living on social security support, every …

Since the beginning of 2026, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has suspended all new admissions to integration courses under Section 44, paragraph 4 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). The circular, sent to course providers on 9 February, clarifies that this freeze affects asylum-seekers, tolerated residents (Geduldete), Ukrainians with temporary protection and EU citizens, who had previously …

Germany’s population fell in 2025 for the first time in several years, underlining the country’s deepening demographic challenges and the growing importance of migration policy for its economic and social future. According to provisional figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), around 83.5 million people were living in Germany at the end of 2025—about 100,000 fewer than a year …

New admissions to federally funded Integrationskurse (integration courses) have been suspended, leaving many refugees and migrants unable to begin essential German language and cultural orientation classes. The freeze, implemented quietly by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) at the end of 2025, remains in place with no clear timeline for resumption. Integration courses are government-supported programmes designed to …

In a landmark judgment that strengthens protection against discrimination in Germany’s housing market, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that real estate agents may not reject housing applicants because of their names. Turning down a prospective tenant solely because their name sounds “foreign,” the court, which is the country’s highest court on civil matters, held, constitutes unlawful ethnic …

When the City of Erlangen formally honoured Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana at a solemn ceremony on 13 January 2026, it was more than a celebratory moment. Held at Erlangen City Hall during a special session of the City Council, the occasion marked the recognition of a life dedicated to social justice, civic engagement and the long, often difficult struggle for equality …

February 2026 may be short, but it brings wide-ranging changes—from migration and travel rules to religious life. Staying informed helps residents navigate the month with fewer surprises and better preparation. Here is a clear overview of what is new—and what it means in everyday life. Continued School Support for Low-Income Families As the second half of the 2025/2026 school year …

Germany’s Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Bärbel Bas, a member of the SPD, has intensified calls within the federal government for stronger legal protections to keep young refugees in the country during and after vocational training. Speaking during a recent visit to the ABB Training Centre Berlin/Brandenburg, Bas underlined the urgent need for certainty for German companies that …

The German government has put forward a new draft law aimed at stopping what it describes as the abuse of paternity acknowledgments — a practice called “sham paternity” (Scheinvaterschaft) — that can be used to secure residence rights, citizenship and social benefits for children and their parents. The reform is intended by the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz to address …

Germany is moving ahead with a major overhaul of its welfare system. The federal government has approved plans to abolish the Bürgergeld (citizens’ allowance) and replace it with a new system known as Neue Grundsicherung (New Basic Security). The reform, which is currently under parliamentary debate, is expected to come into force on 1 July 2026, marking a decisive shift …

Against a backdrop of shrinking budgets and a weakening system of international cooperation, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan, has announced a strategic reorientation of the country’s development policy. The new approach places stronger emphasis on clearly defined priorities, regional focus and a more explicit alignment with German interests. Presenting a policy paper in Berlin …

Germany’s Federal Police Commissioner (Bundespolizeibeauftragter), Uli Grötsch, has acknowledged that incidents of racial discrimination experienced by Black people and other People of Colour are reported far too rarely through official channels, limiting the ability of authorities to investigate and address misconduct within the police. Speaking in Berlin, Grötsch said he regularly hears accounts of discriminatory behaviour by federal police officers, …