For more than two decades, Cologne has set aside ten late-summer days for African cinema to take centre stage, and this year is no exception. From 17 to 27 September, the Afrika Film Festival Köln returns for its 23rd edition, once again turning the city into a meeting point for filmmakers, audiences and stories that rarely get this kind of …

From labelling requirements for artificial intelligence to a new legal right to all-day school care, several new laws and regulations take effect in Germany in August 2026. While some changes mainly affect businesses, others will have a direct impact on families, workers and everyday consumers. Here is our guide to the seven changes that matter most, explained without the legal …

With voluntary access to Germany’s full Integrationskurse (integration courses) still largely closed to asylum-seekers and people with a Duldung (toleration permit) — even after the partial reopening from 1 August 2026 — Erstorientierungskurse (EOK, “first orientation courses”) remain, for now, the main structured option available to them. Here is what they are and how to access one. What they are …

Germany has partly lifted its months-long freeze on voluntary admissions to Integrationskurse (integration courses), but the reopening — which takes effect on 1 August — offers little relief to asylum-seekers and people living with a Duldung (toleration permit). This is a follow-up to our earlier reports on the funding crisis affecting integration courses, including our last week’s story on warnings …

What does Cape Verde’s remarkable World Cup journey mean to its global diaspora? In this deeply personal reflection, renowned academic, former MEP and respected voice in the African diaspora in Europe, Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, explores how the Blue Sharks’ success became a powerful celebration of identity, belonging and pride for Cape Verdeans — and Africans everywhere. The extraordinary journey of …

A summer visit home to Nigeria became much more than a family reunion for Belgium-based writer Collins Nweke* and his wife, Tonia. It turned into a deeply moving journey of gratitude, memory and rediscovery — one that reminds all of us, especially those living in the diaspora, of the people whose quiet influence shaped our lives. This heartfelt essay will …

As Nigeria continues to grapple with the migration of doctors and nurses, this year’s National Diaspora Day will focus on how medical professionals abroad can help strengthen the country’s healthcare system. Nigerians around the world are invited to participate online in the two-day event. _____________ The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has invited Nigerians living around the world to participate …

For international travellers, a passport is more than an identity document—it is a key that determines how freely its holder can move around the world. The latest Henley Passport Index 2026, regarded as one of the most authoritative measures of global travel freedom, ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can enter without obtaining a visa in …

Forty-six human rights and humanitarian organisations say three years of EU-Tunisia migration cooperation has fuelled violence, torture and desert expulsions — and are demanding Brussels cut off support to Tunisian security forces. Forty-six human rights and humanitarian organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and SOS Humanity, have called on the European Union to publicly condemn human rights violations in …

For more than three decades, Reiseservice Sacco has helped thousands of people travel between Europe and Africa, earning a reputation built on trust, expertise and personal service. But how has the company stayed successful in an era of online booking platforms, volatile airfares and constant changes in the aviation industry? In this exclusive interview with The African Courier, founder Sandro …