May, 2025

• 1 May

  Italy transfers migrants to Albania under controversial deportation deal

  

  Italy has begun implementing a controversial migration deal with Albania, transferring the first group of 40 migrants from Italian detention centres to a facility in northern Albania. The move marks the formal launch of an offshore deportation programme that critics say undermines human rights and legal protections for asylum seekers. Under the agreement signed between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni …

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• 1 May

  ‘Justice for Lorenz’: Berlin Protest Demands Accountability in Police Shooting

  

  More than 100 demonstrators gathered on Wednesday, 30 April, outside the Representation Office of the state of Lower Saxony in Berlin. They were protesting the fatal police shooting of 21-year-old Afro-German Lorenz A. in Oldenburg in the early hours of Easter Sunday. The protest, part of a nationwide wave of actions, was organized by Black community groups who say the …

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• 1 May

  Germany: 82,000 receive temporary residence permit under ‘Opportunity Act’

  

  Since its introduction in 2023, Germany’s Opportunity Residence Act has granted over 82,000 people with a suspended deportation order a path to legal status. A new government plan will tighten this scheme, but hope remains, reports Femi Awoniyi. Since January 2023, the Opportunity Residence Act (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht) has enabled individuals with a Duldung (tolerated stay) to receive an 18-month temporary residence …

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April, 2025

• 30 April

  Germany: New Laws and other Changes in May 2025

  

  Several important changes are taking effect across Germany in May 2025 that affect everyday life — from how passports and ID cards are issued to stricter recycling rules and new family name rights. The African Courier has summarised the most relevant updates here: Digital Photos Required for ID and Passport Applications Starting May 2025, anyone applying for a passport, national …

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• 29 April

  Ibrahim Traoré: A Chance at Lasting Renewal for Burkina Faso

  

  Burkina Faso finds itself at a crossroads, buoyed by a wave of popular support for its military leadership yet confronted with the pressing need for democratic governance and economic renewal, writes Colins Nweke. In this opinion piece, the Nigerian-Belgian commentator explores how Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s bold leadership, hailed by much of Africa’s frustrated youth, can chart a sustainable path towards …

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• 28 April

  African country ends visa-free entry for Germany and 32 others

  

  In a significant policy shift, Namibia has introduced a visa requirement for German nationals and citizens of 32 other countries, effective from 1 April 2025. The policy aims to establish reciprocity with nations that mandate visas for Namibian citizens. The affected countries span Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, including:​ Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, …

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• 25 April

  Germany: Doctors advise African community on preventing premature deaths

  

  Responding to concerns about rising cases of untimely deaths in the African community, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany (NIDO Germany) recently hosted an online health information session. The event, titled “Health is Wealth,” was organised in collaboration with the Diaspora Medical Mobile Clinic (DMMC), a collective of African medical professionals committed to improving healthcare outcomes in the community. The …

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• 25 April

  Daniela Schwarzer appointed President of Germany’s Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations

  

  Daniela Schwarzer, a prominent German political scientist and expert in international affairs, has been appointed as the new President of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Germany’s leading institution for international cultural exchange. She will assume the honorary position on 3 June 2025, succeeding historian and publicist Ulrich Raulff, who has held the role since 2018.   Schwarzer currently serves as …

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• 24 April

  German education agency opens office in Accra for regional cooperation

  

  The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) has inaugurated a new regional office in Accra, Ghana, marking a significant expansion of Germany’s academic engagement in West Africa. The office, which will initially focus on Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, is expected to strengthen scientific collaboration and enhance academic exchange between the region and Germany. The DAAD Regional Office – …

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• 24 April

  Young Afro-German fatally shot by police sparks outcry and demands for justice

  

  On Easter Sunday, Lorenz A., a 21-year-old Afro-German, was fatally shot by a police officer in Oldenburg, northwest Germany. The killing has triggered widespread outrage, especially within the Black community, and renewed concerns about systemic racial bias and the disproportionate use of lethal force by German police against people of African descent. What Happened? According to police reports, Lorenz was …

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