October, 2026

• 2 October

  Ceuta crisis gives fresh momentum to Europe’s tougher migration agenda

  

  News analysis | The African Courier | 2 October 2026 The mass arrival of migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in July has become a catalyst for a new phase in European migration policy. Across the EU, governments are pushing harder for deportations, return hubs outside Europe and stronger border controls, while debate over asylum access and regularisation …

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• 2 October

  Germany: Govt to slash independent asylum counselling funding by 80% in 2027

  

  The federal government plans to cut funding for independent asylum procedure counselling (behördenunabhängige Asylverfahrensberatung, AVB) to €5 million next year, down from €24.5 million in 2026. The draft 2027 budget is still being debated in the Bundestag, and the Interior Ministry says the counselling would in future be available only to especially vulnerable asylum-seekers. What the ministry says According to …

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• 2 October

  EU adopts new return rules: What rejected asylum-seekers should know

  

  On 1 October the Council of the EU gave its final green light to new rules for more effective returns of people with no legal right to stay in the EU. The regulation is due to come into force in the coming weeks. Because it is a regulation rather than a directive, it applies directly in all 27 member states. …

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• 1 October

  Ethiopian Airlines launches daily flights to Durban from Frankfurt

  

  Ethiopian Airlines will resume direct flights between Addis Ababa and Durban from 11 December 2026, creating a new travel option for passengers from Germany and other European markets travelling to South Africa via the airline’s Addis Ababa hub. The Ethiopian flag carrier announced on 29 September that it will operate the Durban service daily, making the South African city its …

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September, 2026

• 26 September

  Exhibition: Sylvie Nantcha honoured as pioneer of Afro-German political representation

  

  When Dr Sylvie Nantcha entered Freiburg’s city council in 2009, her election was more than a personal political achievement. She became the first Afro-German CDU councillor elected to a municipal parliament in Germany. Seventeen years later, that pioneering role has been turned into art. Swiss-Haitian artist Sasha Huber has portrayed Nantcha as part of her international The Firsts series, which …

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• 25 September

  Ghana’s Mahama proposes Africa–Caribbean–Latin America trade alliance

  

  Ghana’s president says his country’s forthcoming African Union chairmanship could provide an opportunity to bring Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America closer through trade and economic cooperation Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has proposed closer economic integration between Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, saying Ghana will use its forthcoming chairmanship of the African Union to pursue stronger links between …

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• 25 September

  Big News: Ethiopian Airlines Launches New Route to Port Harcourt on 1 December 2026

  

  – ADVERTISEMENT – Travel Tip of the Month | Brought to you by Reiseservice Sacco — Your Trusted West Africa Travel Specialist Exciting news for the Nigeria community in Germany and Europe: Ethiopian Airlines is launching a new route to Port Harcourt — via Addis Ababa — starting 1 December 2026. More connections. More options. More ways to get home. …

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• 25 September

  Dangote: A National Champion Needs a National Ecosystem

  

  The Dangote Refinery may have solved one of Nigeria’s most stubborn problems: producing refined petroleum at home. But what happens when one company becomes so important that its success begins to matter to the entire national economy? In his latest analysis, Collins Nweke looks beyond the refinery’s headline-making public offering and forthcoming expansion to examine the bigger questions: Can Nigeria …

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• 25 September

  Opinion: YES to the Bodily Integrity of Girls and Women in Mali

  

  A renewed online campaign defending female genital mutilation in Mali has prompted Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana to speak out. Drawing on her Malian connection, having been born in the country, and her decades of advocacy for women’s rights, the former European Parliament member calls for stronger protection of girls, challenges the misuse of religion and tradition, and urges Mali to finally …

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• 24 September

  Here’s Europe’s strongest passport for visa-free travel in new 2026 ranking

  

  For travellers, the strength of a passport can make a significant difference to how easily they can cross borders. A new 2026 ranking by Passport Reports compares passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without obtaining a visa in advance, including destinations offering visa-free entry, visa on arrival or electronic travel authorisation (ETA). The latest data …

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