Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has voted in favor of declaring four additional countries "safe countries of origin." However, the Bundesrat, the upper house, still has to ratify the decision. The addition of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Georgia to list of safe nations is not without controversy.
When Belgium signed up to the UN Migration pact in December, the Prime Minister said he wanted to be 'on the right side of history.' At the same time, the government has faced criticism for 'stigmatizing and criminalizing' migrants.
Is it possible to work during the asylum procedure? What restrictions apply? And how many people end up finding a job?
A right-wing smear against people who legally assist asylum-seekers has been named Germany's non-word of the year for 2018. The term, seen as defamatory and discrediting, was first used by Alexander Dobrindt of the CSU.
A Syrian asylum-seeker has been charged with manslaughter over a killing that triggered violent protests and clashes with police. But German authorities said one of the main suspects is still on the loose.
The drastic drop in migrant landings in Italy and the tightening on migrants due to the country's new security decree are resulting in a significant decrease in asylum requests. In December, requests were down 27%, with 2,753 requests, compared to 3,784 requests in November.
Whether it's an EU Blue Card, a visa or claiming asylum — the paths to Europe for people who flee their countries are as manifold as they are complicated. Here's an overview of different ways a person can leave his country as well as possible outcomes of the asylum procedure in Germany.
68.8 million people around the world have been forced from home, among them 25.4 million refugees. The number is on the rise, as the UN refugee agency UNHCR reports, but fewer refugees are arriving in Germany.
Four asylum-seekers reportedly assaulted a dozen people in the Bavarian town of Amberg over the weekend, renewing debate over migration. The mayor rejected fears of vigilantism by the far-right NPD.
Most asylum seekers at the Schweinfurt anchor center in Bavaria don't have good chances of being allowed to stay in Germany. They come from countries with a low 'protection rate' — regardless of the personal suffering many of the migrants have endured to make it to Europe. InfoMigrants visited the center and talked to its residents.
An attack by a group of asylum-seekers on passers-by in a Bavarian town has prompted Germany's interior minister to renew his longstanding call for stricter deportation laws. Amberg's mayor has called for caution.
What is life like for asylum seekers in anchor centers in Germany? We visited one in Schweinfurt, Bavaria, to find out. Three German states recently introduced the so-called anchor centers, where asylum seekers are supposed to stay while their applications are being processed — and they are either given asylum or are deported.