News

Against a backdrop of shrinking budgets and a weakening system of international cooperation, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali Radovan, has announced a strategic reorientation of the country’s development policy. The new approach places stronger emphasis on clearly defined priorities, regional focus and a more explicit alignment with German interests. Presenting a policy paper in Berlin …

Germany urgently needs immigration to cushion the effects of demographic change and labour shortages. Yet a growing number of people living in the country, particularly those with a migration background, are contemplating the opposite move: leaving Germany altogether. According to a new short study by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), 21 per cent of people living …

The waters off The Gambia have claimed yet more young lives in a devastating reminder of the perils of irregular migration. On New Year’s Eve, a boat carrying over 200 migrants capsized near Jinak village in the North Bank Region, leaving at least 31 people dead and dozens still missing. For the survivors, hope has come at a steep price: …

Bulgaria officially joined the Eurozone on 1 January, adopting the euro as its national currency and becoming the 21st EU member state to share the common European currency. This development represents a major milestone not only for Bulgaria, but also for the broader European integration project. With Bulgaria’s accession, 21 of the European Union’s 27 member states now use the …

Institutional racism does not begin with open hostility or explicit exclusion. It often starts quietly, in everyday routines, expectations, and silences within spaces meant to nurture children. Drawing on recent research, Amal Abbass* examines how early childhood institutions shape the emotional safety and self-worth of Black children. This article explores the hidden costs of over-adaptation, empathy gaps, and identity erasure, …

Veteran Zimbabwean journalist Faith Zaba, editor of the Zimbabwe Independent, has been named the 2025 Human Rights Tulip Award winner by the Dutch Embassy in Harare. Zaba is recognised for her outstanding investigative journalism and pioneering leadership in a traditionally male-dominated media landscape. With a career spanning more than three decades, she is widely regarded as a trailblazer and a …

Last week in Brussels, interior ministers of the European Union took decisive steps to advance a far‑reaching overhaul of the Common European Asylum System (GEAS) — a reform process that has been among the most contentious in recent EU political debate. The meeting resulted in concrete agreements on measures that could transform asylum procedures across the Union, reshape where and …

Accra is set to become the epicentre of Pan‑African engagement later this month as Ghana hosts the Diaspora Summit 2025 from 19–20 December at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). Under the theme “Resetting Ghana: The Diaspora as the 17th Region,” the summit aims to advance dialogue on reparative justice while redefining the role of the African diaspora in Ghana’s …

Africa is witnessing a new and assertive diplomatic posture, defined by a confident willingness to demand respect on the global stage. Recent events involving Mali and Ghana have highlighted a shift in how some African nations are choosing to respond to what many view as unfair or demeaning policies imposed on their citizens by powerful states. In October, Mali pushed …

A recent ruling by the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg (OVG Berlin-Brandenburg) has cleared up a long-standing ambiguity in the family reunion visa process. According to a report published on the website of the law firm Migrando Rechtsanwälte, the court clarified that language certificates do not simply lose their validity over time. This decision reinforces the rights of migrants seeking …

Germany may be one of Europe’s wealthiest nations, but a significant section of its population — especially people with a migration background — continues to struggle with rising living costs, shrinking purchasing power and worsening housing conditions. This is one of the key findings of the Federal Government’s newly approved Poverty and Wealth Report, presented in Berlin on Wednesday. According …

The African Diaspora Council of Switzerland (ADCS) is gearing up to host a major cultural and community gathering as it celebrates International Migrants Day alongside its End-of-Year Party on 20 December 2025 in Bern-Ostermundigen. The event, which begins at 4:00 pm at the Tell Kulturzentrum (Bernstrasse 101, 3072 Ostermundigen/Bern), is open to all members of the migrant and diaspora communities, …

Nigerian community leaders across Europe, in collaboration with the International Advocacy for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption (IAHRAC) and other diaspora-based organisations, have released a comprehensive report outlining the most urgent challenges facing Nigerians abroad. Based on findings from high-level leadership meetings and a cross-continental survey, the report highlights deep frustrations with administrative processes, embassy capacity, and the deteriorating security situation …

At just 26 years old, Zimbabwean youth and women’s rights activist Namatai Kwekweza has been awarded the 2025 German Africa Prize — becoming the youngest recipient in the award’s more than three decades’ history. The honour, conferred by the German Africa Foundation (DAS), recognizes Kwekweza’s bold commitment to democracy, rule of law, youth empowerment and constitutional reform — even in …

Leaders of the African Union and European Union gathered in Luanda, Angola, for the 7th AU–EU Summit on 24-25 November. The two-day meeting ended with a joint declaration that puts practical cooperation at the centre of AU–EU relations — from infrastructure and industrialisation to security, climate action and, crucially, migration. For millions of Africans at home and in the diaspora, …

A group of female asylum-seekers housed in a reception centre in Lower Saxony has published an open letter addressed to the authorities — alleging that their living conditions amount to de facto detention. The women, currently at the reception facility in Landesaufnahmebehörde Niedersachsen (LAB), describe life in the centre as humiliating and dehumanizing. In their letter — released on 24 …

By Max Cuvellier Giacomelli, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA, and Sarah Malm, Executive Director, GOGLA (the Global Off-Grid Solar Association) _________ For millions of Africans, a charged mobile phone is a gateway to markets, finance, healthcare, and education. Yet hundreds of millions of people still lack electricity, locking them out of the digital economy before they can even log …

In a landmark decision published on published on 20 November, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht, BVerfG) declared that police may not enter a refugee’s room in a communal shelter to carry out a deportation without first obtaining a judicial search warrant. The court, based in Karlsruhe, ruled that such an enforcement measure constitutes a search (“Durchsuchung”) under the German Basic …

In this article, Amal Abbass, discusses racism, microaggressions and language rooted in colonial history. African-European children – children with both African and European heritage – often face subtle but painful comments about their identity. These remarks may not sound openly racist. They may even come from loving family members. But they carry hidden messages that can damage a child’s confidence …

Leaders of the European Union and the African Union will convene in Luanda, Angola, from 24–25 November for the seventh EU–AU Summit—an event that comes at a decisive moment for relations between the two continents. Co-hosted by Angola’s President João Lourenço and European Council President António Costa, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen representing the EU, the meeting …