Among the almost 90 million forcibly displaced people around the world are tens of thousands of scientists. In their new homes, they often face discrimination, precarious working conditions and difficulties getting their degrees recognized. But some also find new opportunities and peace, as a photo exhibition about researchers in exile shows.
More than many other situations, it is in the search for accommodation where racism is felt most in Germany. One in three people with an immigrant background say then have experienced racism while looking for an apartment.
The German Interior Minister has voiced concern about a "sudden" uptick in irregular arrivals from Serbia via the Balkan route. Meanwhile, the dual strain of the large number of refugees from Ukraine and an uptick in arrivals from other countries are pushing accommodation facilities in Germany to the limit.
In 2023, the German state of Berlin will take in 300 Syrians who are living in refugee camps in Lebanon. Berlin wants to extend admissions for vulnerable and at risk groups.
Germany's so-called "behavioural prognosis" when assessing LGBTQ+ asylum procedures is to be scrapped. "Only in this way can LGBTQ+ refugees realize their right to live in safety -- as discreetly or openly as they themselves want," advocates say.
The movement of highly skilled labor from developing countries to richer ones is largely seen as a negative trend. But voluntary migration is nuanced and complex.
A German state politician has voiced "increasing doubts" about a fatal police operation in the city of Dortmund. In early August, a police officer shot a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor from Senegal several times after he allegedly approached officers with a knife.
German police have discovered 23 refugees from Syria in a forest near the Czech border. They were reportedly abandoned there by smugglers.
In a letter to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, prominent aid organizations have slammed Berlin's Afghan refugee admission program as "extremely questionable in terms of organization and content." The aid groups warned that Germany's selection process is "in danger of failing" and have threatened to withdraw from talks.
Germany is sorely lacking in affordable apartments, and refugees remain largely overrepresented among those without private housing. People who have applied for or received asylum earn on average 43% less than the average German salary.
Close to one in four start-up founders in Germany have a migration background, according to a study. This underscores the importance of migrants as an economic force. But key challenges, especially in the areas of collaboration, financing and growth, continue to hold many of them back.
A state-appointed panel has found that Muslims in Berlin are at a disadvantage across the state's institutions. It has made a number of recommendations, including doing away with Berlin's "neutrality law."