News

In a landmark ruling issued on 4 June 2026, the European Court of Justice has found that Germany’s practice of cutting basic benefits for rejected asylum-seekers violates EU law, a verdict hailed by refugee advocates, but one whose impact may prove short-lived as sweeping new migration rules take effect just eight days later.____________ The case originated with an Afghan national, …

The European Union’s landmark Pact on Migration and Asylum enters into force on 12 June 2026, ushering in the most comprehensive reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in decades. Designed to address longstanding weaknesses exposed during previous migration crises, the pact consists of ten interlinked legislative acts that reshape how the EU manages migration and processes asylum claims. …

The United Nations General Assembly has elected Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe and Kyrgyzstan as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term beginning on 1 January 2027. The five countries were elected on 3 June to replace outgoing members whose terms expire at the end of 2026. They will join the Security Council’s 15-member body, …

Ghana has begun evacuating hundreds of its citizens from South Africa following renewed anti-immigrant protests and fears of xenophobic violence in the country. The first chartered flight carrying 297 Ghanaians landed in Accra on Wednesday as part of a voluntary repatriation programme approved by President John Dramani Mahama. Ghanaian authorities say more than 800 nationals have registered to return home …

Ghana will host a major international conference on reparatory justice from 17 to 19 June 2026 as a direct follow-up to the historic resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 March 2026 declaring the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. The ‘High-Level Next Steps Conference on Reparatory Justice’ will take place …

Togo became the fifth African country to grant unconditional visa-free entry to all African passport holders on 18 May 2026, when its Ministry of Security announced the immediate removal of visa requirements for continental travellers. Under the new policy, any African national holding a valid passport may enter Togo without a visa for stays of up to 30 days. Travellers …

The United Nations General Assembly’s recent recognition of the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity marks a historic moment, but it also raises uncomfortable questions, writes Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana. The muted response and abstentions by many European countries reveal a persistent reluctance to fully confront the legacy of slavery and its lasting consequences, the former European MP …

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 …

German-Nigerian heavyweight prospect Emanuel Odiase is set for the defining moment of his young career as he fights for the European heavyweight title on Friday at the SAP Arena in Mannheim. The bout, highlight of the “Night of the Heavyweights” organised by Ringside Zone, will see the unbeaten 27-year-old face Britain’s experienced Nick Webb over ten rounds. Standing at 2.03 …

Shocking scenes of anti-migrant violence in South Africa expose more than xenophobia; they reveal a deeper continental crisis. Beneath the brutality lies failed governance, economic despair and broken promises across Africa. This moment demands not only outrage, but honest reflection on leadership, accountability and the urgent need for systemic transformation in the continent, argues Femi Awoniyi The images of African …

Beijing has scrapped import tariffs on goods from 53 African countries, in what it calls an unprecedented act of economic solidarity. The figures are striking. But an analysis of who exports what — and at what rates — reveals a more complicated picture. For Africa to convert market access into economic transformation, far more than a tariff change will be …

New figures from Europe’s statistical agency show that first-time asylum applications in the EU fell by more than a quarter last year. The headline numbers conceal a more complex picture — one in which Africans fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty remain significantly represented, particularly among the unaccompanied children making dangerous journeys to Europe. The number of people seeking asylum in …

By Isaac Arko Inkum* I write to express my thoughts on the tragic story of a young pregnant woman who died in a hospital in Ghana recently because nurses on duty failed to attend to her promptly. Sadly, both the young woman and the baby she carried lost their lives. This incident, along with many others, has raised serious concerns …

I write as a Ghanaian lawyer to express my concerns about recent developments in South Africa. Mainstream and social media have been inundated with videos of some South Africans verbally confronting citizens of other African countries living in South Africa. These actions demonstrate an unwelcoming and troubling attitude towards fellow Africans who live and work in the country. In one …

Swiss voters will head to the polls on 14 June to decide on Europe’s most controversial immigration referendum this year: a constitutional initiative that would place a hard ceiling on the country’s population. The proposal, titled “No to Ten Million Switzerland,” was launched by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), Switzerland’s largest political force. It seeks to ensure that the …

A delegation from Germany has travelled to Madagascar to assess the destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Gezani and to support ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in the African country. The visit, led by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg and Monsignor Wolfgang Huber, president of the Catholic mission agency Missio Munich, comes two months after the powerful storm struck Madagascar’s east coast …

Germany’s courts and authorities are sending a clear message: foreign nationals who commit serious crimes can lose their right to stay in the country and face deportation. A recent court ruling in Karlsruhe has renewed debate over how far Germany may go in removing foreigners — especially Syrians — from the country. Germany’s Administrative Court in Karlsruhe has issued a …

The Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin, co-hosted by Germany and the African Union, together with the European Union, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, mobilised historic levels of humanitarian funding and gave Sudanese civilian voices their biggest international platform yet. But with neither warring party present, a durable end to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis remains as …

By Felix Dappah, The African Courier  In a move that has set Spain apart from virtually every other government in Europe, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration has formally launched a mass regularisation programme for undocumented migrants, opening application windows on 16 April 2026 for online submissions and 20 April for in-person filings. The application period runs until 30 June 2026. …

Germany has long wrestled with its identity as a nation shaped by migration. Now, new data from the Federal Statistical Office — known by its German acronym Destatis — has put a sharper number on just how profoundly that transformation has taken hold: more than one in four people living in the country has an immigration history. According to the …