LIVING IN GERMANY

Afro-German activist Katharina Oguntoye has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz). The Order, colloquially known as the Federal Cross of Merit, is awarded to German and foreign citizens for political, social-economic and intellectual achievements as well as for serving the Federal Republic of Germany, such as through social engagement. Oguntoye (63) was presented …

A new month is here and we have put together some of the changes you should know about if you live in Germany. On the one hand, the first measures in the 2022 relief package to cushion the effect of rising energy costs enter into effect on 1 June. And there are also other important new regulations and laws. Here …

EU countries have generously been welcoming of the refugees from Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country on 24 February. These are largely spared bureaucratic hurdles as they receive residence permits without individual assessment and have access to the job market, welfare benefits and other social support. In the shadow of the refugee crisis are the so-called third-country nationals …

Against the background of the difficult situation of non-Ukrainian nationals from Ukraine who were displaced by the war in the country and are currently seeking refuge in Germany, refugee, rights and diaspora support groups have issued an open letter to the Federal Interior Minister, demanding that all refugees from Ukraine should be treated equally. —— OPEN LETTER On the occasion …

Until now, refugees from Ukraine have been able to use public transport in cities and towns across Germany without a ticket. This regulation expires on 31 May 2022. Refugees from Ukraine therefore require a ticket when travelling on public transport from 1 June. An affordable alternative is the 9-Euro Ticket, which entitles holders to travel on public transport (regular buses, …

Ukrainian refugees are entitled to regular social benefits as from 1 June, according to a law passed the Bundesrat, the upper chamber of the German federal parliament —— Refugees from Ukraine will be entitled to regular social benefits such as Hartz IV from June onwards. The Bundesrat approved a corresponding law on Friday (20 May), which implements an agreement between …

To offset the impact of rising energy prices caused by the Ukraine war and encourage the use of public transport, the German government introduced a subsidised nationwide ticket which costs only 9 euros per month for travels on public transport during ninety days in the summer. The upper chamber of the federal parliament approved the plan last Friday, clearing the …

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Germany has launched a survey of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) from Ukraine in Germany. The pilot survey aims to generate first knowledge pertaining to TCNs’ needs, challenges and also vulnerabilities in Germany in order to inform advocacy and projects by IOM Germany and relevant stakeholders. The survey is easily accessible online via numerous devices (Computer, …

Around 9 per cent of the newly-elected MPs in North Rhine-Westphalia have a migration background, investigation by Mediendienst Integration, a service platform for journalists on issues of migration and integration in Germany, has found —— Germany’s most populous federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), elected a new state parliament on 15 May. According to the findings of Mediendienst Integration, 17 of …

As the war in Ukraine rages on, many Africans and People of Colour fleeing the country are still stuck at its borders with its neighbours while those lucky to make it to Western Europe are facing different kinds of challenges. To draw attention to the travails of the non-Ukrainian victims of the war in Ukraine, a coalition of African groups …

We are of the conviction that everyone is needed to attain the ambitious SDGs. And that the creativity, know-how, contacts and financial resources of the diaspora are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, more than 4 million Ukrainians and people of other nationalities resident in the country have fled to other European countries. According to the German government, more than 400,000 of the displaced are currently in Germany to seek refuge – among these are thousands of Africans. While the legal …

ANNOUNCEMENT The extraordinary seminar programme offered by the State of Berlin on the topic of start-ups and self-employment for people with a migration background interested in starting a business begins a new round in May! For exactly 20 years, the state of Berlin has been strengthening and honouring the economic growth and cultural diversity of Berlin’s start-ups and has been running the …

A number of new laws, amendments to laws and edicts affecting everyday life enter into effect in May and some will affect you too. Beer is to become more expensive and offers on online platforms such as Amazon and eBay to become more transparent for consumers. More on these and other important changes taking effect from May here: —— Submission …

Hamburg-based actress, author, model and TV presenter Dayan Kodua has issued an alert for her new book My Black Skin: Life Journeys. The German-Ghanaian beauty, the first woman of African descent to win a state beauty contest in Germany, published the book alert on her Facebook page on Friday, announcing: “The coffee table book comes in two languages: English & …

Voters will go to the polls in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) on 15 May to elect the state parliament. Up for grabs are at least 181 seats in the parliament which are being contested by the major political parties, including the CDU, SPD and the Greens. An African is contesting and if he wins, he will make history as the first …

A group supporting African war refugees from Ukraine who are currently seeking refuge in Germany will hold two information sessions in May. The virtual events, ‘Information Session on Studying in Germany’ and ‘Legal Advice for Africans from Ukraine’, are organised by Help for Africans from Ukraine in Germany (HAUG) to provide orientation guide for the refugees. ‘Information Session on Studying …

The first beneficiaries of the new Hamburg regulation for third country students from Ukraine received their Fiktionsbescheinigung (Transitional Residence Permit) yesterday. A Fiktionsbescheinigung is issued if a decision has not yet been taken on an applied-for residence title or if the decision could not yet be taken. It is therefore a provisional right to stay in Germany. As we reported last week, …

Students fleeing the war in Ukraine should be able to continue their studies in Hamburg even if they come from a third country, the city’s authorities have now decided. Hamburg, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, now issues a 6-month provisional residency right to non-Ukrainian students from Ukraine. Speaking in an interview with Hamburg Journal, a spokesperson of the city, …

As the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Tuesday, 22.3 million people living in Germany have a so-called migration background. This corresponds to a population share of 27.2 per cent. People with a migration background are those who themselves or at least one parent was not born with German citizenship. According to the data determined on the basis of …