LIVING IN GERMANY

When The African Courier reported in January 2026 on Germany’s proposed overhaul of its paternity recognition rules, the draft law was still working its way through parliament and advocacy groups were watching closely. On 12 June 2026, the waiting ended. The Bundestag passed the legislation with the governing coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD voting in favour, the Greens and the …

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Germany, HE Senator Ita Enang, has arrived in Berlin to begin preparations for his diplomatic assignment, marking the start of a new chapter in relations between Nigeria and one of its most important European partners. The former senator and presidential adviser landed in the German capital accompanied by his wife, Dr Rosemary Ita Enang on 11 June. …

In an unprecedented show of unity, Germany’s immigrant communities — African, Turkish, Polish, Kurdish, Italian and many others — have joined forces to fight the planned shutdown of COSMO, ARD’s only multilingual, intercultural public radio service. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition. Now the organised diaspora is calling on ARD’s leadership to act. On 11 June 2026, more …

Germany’s Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency handled more cases in 2025 than at any time in its history, with racist and antisemitic incidents accounting for the single largest share — and the country’s chief equality watchdog warning that prejudice is now being expressed more openly and more aggressively than at any point in recent memory. Germany’s Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes, …

Germany granted citizenship to a record 332,500 foreign nationals in 2025, underscoring the growing importance of naturalisation as a pathway to full participation in German society. According to provisional figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the number of naturalisations rose by 14 per cent compared with 2024, marking the fifth consecutive annual increase and the highest figure since …

June 2026 brings a number of legal and regulatory changes in Germany that will affect daily life in practical ways — from online shopping and heating systems to salaries, asylum procedures and healthcare. Here’s a closer look at the most important developments and why they matter. More salary transparency at work One of the most important workplace changes coming this …

The acclaimed africologneFESTIVAL has been named “Cultural Event of the Year 2025” at the Cologne Cultural Awards, further cementing its reputation as one of Europe’s leading platforms for contemporary African and Afrodiasporic arts. The award was presented on 19 May at the COMEDIA Theater during a ceremony organised by the Kölner Kulturrat. The biennial festival triumphed after a combined decision …

German-Nigerian heavyweight Emanuel Odiase delivered a sensational performance on Friday night, knocking out Britain’s Nick Webb in the second round to claim the European heavyweight title. Fighting before a sold-out crowd of 13,000 at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Odiase needed less than two rounds to dismantle his experienced opponent. The decisive moment came early, as Webb was sent crashing …

The Bundesrat, the upper chamber of the German parliament, has called on the federal government to reverse its recent decision to restrict access to integration courses, warning that the policy shift risks weakening one of Germany’s key integration instruments at an early stage. In a formal resolution, the body, which represents the country’s 16 federal states (Bundesländer), criticised the narrowing …

A new wave of laws and regulations takes effect in Germany this month, affecting everyday life — from fuel costs and wages to housing, travel, electric vehicles, short-term rentals and healthcare. Many of these measures are a direct response to the energy price shock triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. Here’s what you need to know. Newborn Screening …

A package of legislative and regulatory changes come into force in Germany in the new month, affecting everything from how much you pay at the petrol station to how you cross the EU’s external borders. For Africans living in Germany, several of these changes are directly relevant. Fuel Prices: One Rise Per Day, at NoonAs from 1 April, German petrol …

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 …