The German Bundestag has passed a major overhaul of asylum laws that affect many refugees and asylum‑seekers living or planning to come to Germany. The new rules — enacted on Friday, 27 March 2026 — implement a European Union asylum reform but also go further in changing how people arriving in Germany are processed, where they stay and how long …

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, expanded refugee protection and updates to vehicle registration rules. Here are the most important changes in March SCHUFA: Transparency in Credit Scores Starting …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Berlin rejected almost one in every 20 citizenship applications in 2025, as the city’s immigration authorities combine faster digital processing with significantly tougher checks aimed at combating fraud. According to figures released this week by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), 4.9 percent of all naturalisation applications reviewed last year were refused. At the same time, the authority approved a record …

African-American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson died on 17 February. The Baptist minister and two-time US presidential candidate was a towering moral voice whose powerful oratory helped shape the civil rights movement in the decades following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Widely regarded as one of the most respected global moral figures of the past 70 years, Rev …

The European Union and India formally signed a far-reaching Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at a high-level summit on 27 January 2026 in New Delhi, after almost two decades of intermittent negotiations. Once ratified by the European Parliament, EU member states and India’s institutions — a process expected to run through 2026, with entry into force likely in 2027 — the …

Brussels, 24 February 2026 — The European Union has adopted a controversial revision of its asylum and deportation rules that will allow member states, including Germany, to deport asylum applicants to countries outside the EU — even when they have no personal connection to those states. The decision, finalised by EU governments this week in Brussels, forms part of the …

Every household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag, a compulsory monthly licence fee for public broadcasting. In 2026, the fee remains €18.36 per month. This fee serves to finance public broadcasting service based on a contributory model. Who can be exempted? For people with good incomes, €18.36 per month may not matter much. But those living on social security support, every …

Berlin-based independent bookshop Buchhandlung InterKontinental has once again been awarded the coveted Deutscher Buchhandlungspreis for 2025, marking its third recognition (previously honoured in 2021 and 2023). The award, announced on Tuesday (10 January), underscores InterKontinental’s continuing influence in Germany’s cultural and literary landscape. Located in the heart of Berlin’s district of Friedrichshain, InterKontinental has built a unique reputation as Germany’s …

Since the beginning of 2026, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has suspended all new admissions to integration courses under Section 44, paragraph 4 of the German Residence Act (AufenthG). The circular, sent to course providers on 9 February, clarifies that this freeze affects asylum-seekers, tolerated residents (Geduldete), Ukrainians with temporary protection and EU citizens, who had previously …