LIVING IN GERMANY

The two-day conference in Brandenburg brought together diplomatic representatives, government officials, refugees and civil society to discuss migration, democratic participation and  development. Bad Belzig/Potsdam, Germany, 12 October 2026 – Two African ambassadors and three integration commissioners representing three levels of public administration were among the prominent participants at the 12th African Cultures and Democratic Dialogue (12ACDD), organised by Cagintua e.V. …

Diaspora families are doing more than sending money home. Through WIDU Africa, they are helping create businesses, jobs and new futures across the continent. Nyima Jadama reports on its new initiatives For millions of Africans living in Europe, supporting family members back home is part of everyday life. A money transfer can help pay school fees, cover medical expenses or …

Yankuba Darboe, chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC) in The Gambia’s West Coast Region, recently met members of the Gambian community in Berlin as part of his ongoing European tour. Darboe, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), used the gathering to discuss local development initiatives, political developments and the diaspora’s important role in shaping The Gambia’s …

The former SPD MP, who made history as the first Black person born in Africa to be elected into the Bundestag, has been honoured for promoting dialogue, fighting prejudice and broadening understanding of Africa. Former German national parliamentarian Karamba Diaby has been awarded the Federal Order of Merit (Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in recognition of his …

The BKMO, a nationwide network of more than 70 migrant and post-migrant groups, calls for secure funding for counselling services, emergency support for people facing threats and arrangements to help vulnerable residents relocate to other federal states. The Federal Conference of Migrant Organisations (BKMO) has called on Germany’s federal and state governments to strengthen protection, counselling and participation for people …

October brings a range of changes in Germany, including measures intended to ease fuel costs, improve public safety, protect consumers and modernise the justice system. Here are the key developments residents should know about. 1. Petrol and diesel become cheaper From 1 October until the end of 2026, the German government is reducing the energy tax on petrol and diesel. …

When Dr Sylvie Nantcha entered Freiburg’s city council in 2009, her election was more than a personal political achievement. She became the first Afro-German CDU councillor elected to a municipal parliament in Germany. Seventeen years later, that pioneering role has been turned into art. Swiss-Haitian artist Sasha Huber has portrayed Nantcha as part of her international The Firsts series, which …

New results from the OECD’s PISA 2025 study, published this week, confirm a pattern that has followed German education policy for years: how well a child does in school in Germany still depends heavily on their family’s social background — and children with a migration history are disproportionately affected, since they are more likely to come from socially disadvantaged families …

The far-right party’s historic election result has intensified concerns among people with migration backgrounds about security, belonging and the future of integration work, prompting migrant organisations, Jewish leaders and civil society groups nationwide to demand protection guarantees and a firm line from Germany’s democratic parties The Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the clear winner of Sunday’s Saxony-Anhalt state election, …

Saxony-Anhalt goes to the polls on Sunday with the AfD far ahead in the surveys. A strong result could have consequences well beyond the eastern German state – particularly for the national debate on migration and the future of Germany’s political centre. Saxony-Anhalt votes on 6 September 2026 in an election being watched closely across Germany. The far-right Alternative for …

September 2026 brings a mixture of new laws, EU rules and other regulatory changes that will affect everyday life in Germany. Some concern consumer protection and digital products, while others are relevant to employees, taxpayers and travellers. It is worth noting that not everything in this overview is technically a new law. For example, the increase in pay for temporary …

Kenyan nutritionist and social entrepreneur Wawira Njiru has been named the 2026 recipient of the German Africa Prize for turning school feeding into a model for food security, job creation and local economic development. Kenyan social innovator and nutritionist Wawira Njiru has been named the recipient of the 2026 German Africa Prize, one of Germany’s most prominent awards recognising outstanding …

Since 7 August, a temporary 25-metre open-air pool, the ‘Volksbad’, has stood outside Berlin’s Volksbühne theatre as part of an art installation by artistic director Matthias Lilienthal. Entry is free, but as at many public pools, the basin is reserved for particular groups on certain days. Each One Teach One (EOTO), a Berlin organisation supporting people of African descent, had …

Berlin has become the last of Germany’s 16 federal states to introduce the Bezahlkarte (payment card) for asylum-seekers, ending a long-running delay and bringing the state in line with the rest of the country. From now on, newly arriving asylum-seekers in Berlin will receive their benefits on a card rather than as cash — a change that will directly affect …

Migrants are becoming ever more central to Germany’s workforce, but many are still working well below their qualifications, and women in particular continue to struggle to find jobs. That’s the picture painted by a new Focus Paper from the Bertelsmann Stiftung, which takes a close look at how migrants are faring on the German labour market. The numbers underline just …

From labelling requirements for artificial intelligence to a new legal right to all-day school care, several new laws and regulations take effect in Germany in August 2026. While some changes mainly affect businesses, others will have a direct impact on families, workers and everyday consumers. Here is our guide to the seven changes that matter most, explained without the legal …

With voluntary access to Germany’s full Integrationskurse (integration courses) still largely closed to asylum-seekers and people with a Duldung (toleration permit) — even after the partial reopening from 1 August 2026 — Erstorientierungskurse (EOK, “first orientation courses”) remain, for now, the main structured option available to them. Here is what they are and how to access one. What they are …

Germany has partly lifted its months-long freeze on voluntary admissions to Integrationskurse (integration courses), but the reopening — which takes effect on 1 August — offers little relief to asylum-seekers and people living with a Duldung (toleration permit). This is a follow-up to our earlier reports on the funding crisis affecting integration courses, including our last week’s story on warnings …

Following media reports on Germany’s plan to cut integration course funding to €590 million in 2027, the country’s Adult Education Association says the real cut is worse than providers were told — and has accused the government of “dismantling” one of Germany’s most effective integration tools. Germany’s Association of Adult Education Centres (Deutscher Volkshochschulverband) has sharply criticised the federal government …

More than a year after 21-year-old Afro-German Lorenz A. was shot dead by a police officer in Oldenburg, the city’s regional court (Landgericht Oldenburg) has formally admitted charges of negligent homicide against the officer involved, clearing the way for a criminal trial. The court decision marks a significant step in a case that has become a focal point in Germany’s …