With Angola as official partner country, a continent-wide showcase at the world’s largest travel trade fair signals a new era of African tourism confidence. Femi Awoniyi reports When the doors of Messe Berlin swung open on 3 March 2026 for the 60th edition of ITB Berlin — the world’s leading travel trade show — Africa was not merely a guest. …
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Germany: Bundestag passes bill to replace Bürgergeld
Germany’s parliament voted on Thursday to overhaul the country’s social welfare system, replacing the Bürgergeld — an unemployment benefits system introduced in 2023 — with a new one called Grundsicherung (Basic Security). The vote passed with 321 members of the Bundestag in favour and 268 against, with two abstentions, backed by the ruling coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD. The …
Read More »Germany Tightens Asylum Rules: What Refugees and Asylum‑Seekers Need to Know
The German Bundestag has passed a major overhaul of the country’s asylum laws. The new rules — enacted on Friday, 27 February 2026 — implement a European Union asylum reform while also introducing new national measures that go further. They aim to process asylum applications faster, reduce so-called “secondary movement” across EU borders and return people who are not eligible …
Read More »Germany: New Laws and Regulations in March 2026
A series of new laws and regulations, affecting retirees, consumers, women, migrants and businesses alike, will enter into effect in March 2026. Key changes include reforms to credit scoring, expanded breast cancer screening, higher health insurance contributions, extension of war refugee protection and updates to vehicle registration rules. Here are the most important changes in March SCHUFA: Transparency in Credit …
Read More »Dortmund Hosts 9th German-African Business Forum to Strengthen Economic Partnerships
More than 350 business leaders, policymakers, diplomats and development experts gathered in the western German city of Dortmund on 3 March for the 9th German-African Business Forum NRW, an event aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between Germany and African countries. Organised by Auslandsgesellschaft.de on behalf of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the forum has been held regularly since 2010 and …
Read More »Germany: Record Number of Asylum Seekers Challenge Rejections in Court
The number of asylum-seekers challenging rejected protection claims in Germany has risen sharply in recent years, putting growing pressure on the country’s administrative courts, according to media reports. Figures reported by the Deutsche Richterzeitung (German Judges’ Journal) show that the number of lawsuits filed by rejected asylum-seekers has doubled within two years. In 2023, Germany’s administrative courts received 71,885 appeals …
Read More »Why UK Suspended Student Visa for Cameroonians, Sudanese, others
The UK has announced an immediate suspension of education visas for nationals of Cameroon, Sudan, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, countries that are battling serious internal security crisis. London argues that the measure is necessary after a sharp rise in asylum claims linked to student visa holders from the four countries. According to the Home Office, such applications rose by more than …
Read More »Berlin: Angola takes centre stage at world’s biggest tourism fair
Angola, the official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2026, is the focus of the international travel industry from 3 to 5 March. At the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show the country from southwest Africa is showcasing its cultural diversity, spectacular natural beauty and a vision for sustainable development. Events kick off with the opening press conference and opening gala on …
Read More »Germany: Africans Urged to Make Use of Available Support Services
A migration expert, Olayinka Adekunle, has called on Africans living in Berlin to actively seek out and make use of the wide range of support services provided by public and private institutions across the city. She made the appeal at an information and networking event on Social Participation and Community Networking organised by the German-African Initiative for Development and Integration …
Read More »Germany to Fast‑Track Work Access for Asylum Seekers
Germany is preparing to overhaul its asylum rules to give people seeking protection quicker access to the labour market, as part of broader migration reforms. The federal government announced plans in Berlin to enable asylum-seekers to start working and integrating into society sooner, even while their applications are being processed. Under the new proposal, asylum-seekers who have been in Germany …
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THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.