News

The European Union has tightened its short-stay visa policy for Guinean nationals, accusing the West African country of failing to cooperate in taking back citizens who are staying irregularly in EU member states. The move marks the first time Guinea has been subjected to such measures under the EU’s visa leverage mechanism and signals Brussels’ growing willingness to use visa …

Europe has reached a demographic turning point. According to the European Commission’s latest Demography Report 2026, the continent’s population has reached its peak and will begin to decline in the coming decades. The report concludes that without immigration, the European Union’s population would shrink by around 130 million people by 2100, highlighting the crucial role migration plays in sustaining Europe’s …

Why the attacks on Kylian Mbappé reveal the persistence of colonial stereotypes in international football, writes Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana* in this opinion piece Every FIFA World Cup reminds us that football has the power to unite people across continents, cultures and languages. Yet the 2026 tournament has also revealed something far less inspiring: the persistence of colonial stereotypes in the …

The Interview That Became a Debate By Collins Nweke When I accepted an invitation for a live interview on News Central TV — an independent 24-hour news channel based in Lagos that focuses on Nigerian and African affairs — I expected my usual engaging conversation with a team of three brilliant anchors. But within minutes of going live, it became …

Germany recorded a sharp decline in irregular border crossings during the first six months of 2026, according to new figures released by the Federal Police, suggesting that tighter border controls and stricter migration policies are having an impact. At the same time, a recent court ruling has raised fresh legal questions about the government’s border enforcement measures. Germany’s Federal Police …

Germany’s drive to recruit international talent is gathering pace. New figures show that reforms to immigration rules are bringing increasing numbers of skilled professionals from non-EU countries to help fill critical labour shortages. Since the Skilled Immigration Act came into force in 2020, around 765,000 people from non-EU countries have been granted residence permits linked to employment or skilled migration, …

As geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty reshape the global landscape, a new EU-wide survey shows that Europeans are looking increasingly to the European Union for stability, security and collective action. Nine out of ten Europeans believe EU member states should stand more united in responding to global challenges, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament. The …

Germany’s Muslim population has reached between 6.6 and 7 million people, according to a new projection by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BAMF). This represents 8.0 to 8.5 percent of the total population, a figure that challenges persistent public misperceptions, with surveys consistently showing that Germans dramatically overestimate the actual proportion of Muslims …

By Collins Nweke On a recent evening in Brussels, I had the privilege of delivering the keynote address at the launch of The City He Never Returned To, a remarkable new novel by a Nigerian-born Belgian writer, Ibekwe Paul Chukwuemeka. The book is ostensibly about the Nigerian Civil War, memory, healing and national repair. But as I reflected afterwards, I …

Refugee and asylum-seeking children in Germany are now entitled to significantly better healthcare, following changes that took effect on 12 June under the implementation of the European Union’s new asylum system. __________ While much of the EU’s Common European Asylum System (GEAS) introduces stricter border procedures and faster asylum processing, one aspect of the reform brings a clear benefit for …

Swiss voters have rejected a controversial proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million people, delivering a setback to anti-immigration campaigners and reaffirming Switzerland’s reliance on migration to support its economy and labour market. In a nationwide referendum held on 14 June, about 55 percent of voters opposed the initiative, while 45 percent supported it. The proposal, championed by …

The European Parliament has approved a sweeping overhaul of the EU’s return and deportation system, paving the way for the establishment of deportation centres in non-EU countries and granting member states broader powers to enforce removals. The legislation was adopted on 17 June 2026 in Strasbourg by 418 votes to 218, with 30 abstentions, following a provisional agreement reached between …

Jolloful Foods GmbH is on a mission to make African cuisine more accessible across Europe through a range of ready-to-eat meals inspired by traditional recipes from the continent. Its name draws inspiration from jollof rice – one of Africa’s most cherished dishes, famous not only for its distinctive blend of rice, tomatoes and spices, but also for the friendly cross-border …

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has already broken new ground for African football. For the first time, a record 10 African nations are competing in the tournament, raising hopes that the continent could finally produce a World Cup finalist – or even a champion. The expanded 48-team format has allowed Africa …

Nigeria and the European Union are set to strengthen their longstanding economic partnership as policymakers, investors and business leaders gather in Lagos for the 10th Nigeria–EU Business Forum on 25 June. The landmark event reflects growing efforts by both sides to transform diplomatic relations into concrete business opportunities and sustainable investments. Organised under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, the forum …

New UNHCR figures released ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June show a four percent drop in global displacement in 2025 — the first reduction in ten years. The data offers a moment of cautious optimism, but rights groups warn that the numbers mask deepening long-term crises and deteriorating conditions across Europe. For the first time in ten years, …

Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s largest source of international students and now ranks as the world’s third-largest sender of students abroad, according to UNESCO’s first Higher Education Global Trends Report, released on 12 May 2026. The report found that Nigerian students accounted for 5% of global outbound student mobility in 2023, placing the country behind only China and India, and …

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, …