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German state deletes “race” from constitution

The parliament of Saarland, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, has removed the term “race” from the list of possible grounds for discrimination in the state’s constitution. In future, Article 12 will instead state that no one may be disadvantaged or favoured “on the basis of racial attributions”. “Our constitution is modern, trend-setting and understandable. Today, we are ensuring that …

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Germany: Bundesrat approves dual citizenship, strict deportation rules

The Bundesrat, the upper chamber of the federal parliament, has approved two further components of the new migration policy of the governing federal coalition – the laws on faster naturalisation and deportations. The Bundesrat on Friday decided not to refer the citizenship law to the mediation committee. The new law, which was passed by the Bundestag in January, stipulates that …

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Germany: More than 50,000 residence permits issued

Almost 54,000 people have now received a residence permit through the right of residence programme (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht) introduced just over a year ago by the German government. The amnesty scheme opens up a path to a long-term right of residence for tolerated persons. According to a survey conducted by Mediendienst Integration Service, 75,345 people have applied for a residence permit to …

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Survey reveals European countries with most affordable personal loans

A new study has revealed the most affordable European countries in which to take out a personal loan, with Luxembourg claiming the top spot. Loan experts Lånea analyzed data from Trading Economics, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Numbeo to create an index of the European countries most affordable for those wanting to take out a personal …

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European Qualifications Passport for Refugees

The Head of the Education Department of the Council of Europe, Villano Qiriazi, unveiled inspiring insights into the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva. The event was dedicated to the sharing of best practices and achievements among national and international actors. The EQPR is a special international tool developed to assess …

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Italy announces €5.5 billion support plan for Africa

At the Italy-Africa Summit, Rome promotes its plan to create jobs and opportunity in Africa and discourage its young people from making dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea. Africa demands action instead of empty promises. Italy, which has just assumed the Presidency of the G7, has unveiled a €5.5 billion plan to support African development, which it hopes will stem …

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Germany: New Laws and Regulations in February 2024

At the beginning of the year, we informed you about the general changes that will affect people living in Germany in 2024. From February, some changes will come into effect that will affect many areas of life. We have summarised what exactly will change here: —- New regulation for co-payment for medications Anyone who takes a doctor’s prescription to the …

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ECOWAS: Future shaky as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso leave group

The unexpected withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has stoked fears of an uncertain future for the regional bloc. In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of the three countries declared that they had made the “sovereign decision” to quit the organisation of 15 member countries. For months now, …

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