News

Schengen in retreat as more EU countries bring back border controls

The European Union’s cherished Schengen system, which guarantees passport-free travel across much of the continent, is facing mounting pressure as more member states reintroduce internal border controls. The latest move comes from Poland, which has announced it will temporarily impose checks along its borders with Germany and Lithuania starting next Monday. Currently, 11 of the 29 Schengen countries are operating …

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Germany: Bundestag approves law suspending family reunification for refugees

Germany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to suspend family reunification rights for refugees with subsidiary protection status for two years — a controversial move that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, churches and opposition parties. The suspension, which primarily affects Syrian refugees, marks the first step in a series of planned reforms by the federal government to …

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Europe: Immigration raids increasingly targeting undocumented migrants

While recent US immigration raids make international headlines, a quiet surge in enforcement across Europe is increasingly targeting undocumented migrants, many of them from Africa. In France, the interior ministry this month deployed 4,000 police officers to conduct sweeping ID checks at train and bus stations. Migrant rights group La Cimade called the move “Trumpist,” warning it portrays undocumented people …

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German court rules rejected asylum-seekers cannot be denied benefits

In a major ruling that challenges Germany’s increasingly restrictive asylum policies, the Higher Social Court of Lower Saxony has declared that asylum-seekers cannot be completely cut off from state welfare support even when their application has been rejected under the EU’s Dublin Regulation and their deportation is delayed. The decision, announced Monday, 23 June, stems from the emergency appeal of …

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Study: Why many immigrants are considering leaving Germany

A growing number of migrants living in Germany are contemplating leaving the country due to political dissatisfaction, high taxes, excessive bureaucracy and personal preferences. This is the key finding of a new study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), which raises concerns about the long-term retention of skilled foreign workers vital to Germany’s labour market. The study, published recently, …

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Opinion: How Nigeria should react to a US visa ban

Nigeria is one of 36 countries reportedly being considered for new US visa restrictions. Belgium-based public affairs analyst Collins Nweke urges the Nigerian government to respond strategically to this development. He outlines how Abuja can approach the situation in a manner that prioritizes the interests of its citizens. The reported leaked memo from the office of the United States Secretary …

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US Travel Ban: 35 African countries could soon be affected

Beginning from June 2025, the United States has imposed strict entry restrictions on nationals from many countries across the globe, some of them African. These measures, whether total or partial bans, affect travel for tourism, business, study or family visits, and are already having serious implications for millions of people. According to multiple news sources, the US government is preparing …

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Essay: Africa and the Echoes of Toussaint L’Ouverture

Prof. Jason Osai* traces the ongoing political revolution in Francophone West Africa to the legacy of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the Haitian leader who led the struggle to establish the first independent Black nation and free his people from the grip of French colonial oppression. Since 2020, there have been military overthrows in four West African countries—three of which have expelled France …

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UK court confirms Ogunfemi’s leadership of Nigerians in Europe

The long-running leadership crisis that has rocked the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) for months has finally been laid to rest. According to a press statement issued by the organisation, the Royal Courts of Justice in London, in a ruling on 28 May 2025, has unequivocally affirmed the legitimacy of the Central Executive Council led by Harold Ogunfemi, bringing …

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Germany: A Struggle for Historical Truth in Public Spaces

Berlin’s image as a progressive, multicultural city is under scrutiny once again. In this article, Amal Abbass confronts the distortion of Black history through a recent exhibition at Alexanderplatz that misrepresented the origins of blues music. She writes about what she describes as a broader pattern of how Germany’s public memory suppresses uncomfortable truths and how the Black community must …

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Germany’s Annalena Baerbock Elected President of UN General Assembly

Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s former foreign minister, has been elected President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first woman from Western Europe and only the fifth woman overall to hold the position. Baerbock was elected with overwhelming support, securing 167 votes in a secret ballot at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday. Her closest …

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YANA Berlin expands support for new African migrants

YANA Berlin has relaunched its services to provide support for asylum-seekers and other new African migrants in the German capital on 1 April. The migrant advisory service, run by the nonprofit German-African Initiative for Development and Integration (GAIDI), operates under the motto “You Are Not Alone in Berlin” (YANA Berlin), offering guidance to ease integration. Supported by the Stiftung Berliner …

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EU states push for reinterpretation of human rights convention to limit refugees’ numbers

The leaders of nine EU countries — Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — have issued a joint letter urging a rethinking of how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) applies to migration. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen led the initiative, which calls for greater national discretion …

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Belgium: The case for honouring Patrice Lumumba in public space

As Africa prepares to commemorate the centenary of Patrice Lumumba’s birth, Collins Nweke* reflects on the enduring struggle to name a public square in Ostend after the iconic Congolese independence leader, who was born on 2 July 1925. Nweke, a Nigerian-Belgian public intellectual and former councillor in the Belgian port city, recounts the resistance he faced in his efforts to …

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Special: Confronting Racism against Black Children in German Schools

This special report confronts an urgent and painful reality: the systemic racism endured by Black children in German schools. What should be spaces of growth and belonging too often become arenas of exclusion and trauma. Through meticulous research, this report illuminates the structural nature of this problem and offers a bold framework for change. It is based on the visionary …

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The Beauty and Burden of Diversity in Europe

In this powerful reflection, Collins Nweke* takes us on a deeply personal journey through Europe’s evolving relationship with diversity. Drawing on his lived experiences as a Nigerian-born Belgian public servant, father and now grandfather, he explores the shift from multiculturalism – living side by side, to interculturalism, where mutual transformation takes root.  Upfront I want to say that it would …

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Pope Leo XIV inaugurated amid prayers for peace and hope from Africa

Pope Leo XIV was officially inaugurated on Sunday in a solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Square, attended by over 200,000 people, including dignitaries from across the globe. As he begins his pontificate, Pope Leo—born Cardinal Robert Prevost—called for global peace and solidarity with war-affected communities, particularly in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine. “In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot …

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Special: The dilemma of a Nigerian father in the diaspora

The life of Nigerian parents in the diaspora is a delicate balancing act — between preserving heritage and embracing a new reality. With all the troubles in their country of origin, preserving that desired link to the roots becomes a big challenge. In this heartfelt reflection, Belgium-based Collins Nweke captures the struggle of raising his children across cultures, the pain …

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UK: Visa crackdown could disproportionately affect African migrants

By Sola Jolaoso | The African Courier Planned visa restrictions under the UK’s upcoming immigration reforms could significantly affect African nationals, particularly those from Nigeria, as the British government moves to tighten control over legal migration routes that it believes are being misused for asylum claims. According to a BBC News report published on 6 May 2025, the UK Home …

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