everyday europe

• France

Paris is keeping around a dozen shower facilities open for people living rough during the October 30 - December 1 coronavirus lockdown. The showers are free of charge, and users only need to bring their own toiletries. The InfoMigrants newsroom has compiled a list of these facilities and their opening hours.

• Italy

The Italian volunteer association Il Grande Colibrì has set up a website with updated information on the situation concerning COVID-19 in Italy. It's available in over 50 languages.

• Germany

Baden-Württemberg will now ban full-face coverings for all school children. State Premier Winfried Kretschmann said burqas and niqabs did not belong in a free society. A similar rule for teachers was already in place.

• Italy

Unions and migrant rights organizations in northeastern Italy have presented a handbook to explain the "world of work" in a clear and simple manner to both migrants and Italians who struggle with written Italian. The book is available in five languages.

• Germany

Migration and refugees make the news more often in Germany than in nearly all other European countries. But researchers say that across Europe, media coverage rarely gives migrants themselves a voice.

• France
• Italy

Migrants in the northern Italian city of Turin can now access a virtual map showing services from the closest toilet to the opening hours of the legal aid office. 'OASI on the street' - the app - was launched last week. Its creators, themselves refugees, hope that it will help migrants to make well-informed choices as well as offering immediate practical support.

• Germany

Everybody gets sick sometimes or accidentally breaks things. That’s why health and private liability insurance are vital. But what do asylum seekers and recognized refugees need to bear in mind when taking out insurance in Germany? Here we look at the basics and the ins and outs of key insurance for refugees and asylum seekers in Germany.

• Italy

Poste Italiane, Italy's postal system, released an internal memo in which it explained that an asylum seeker stay permit is sufficient for opening a basic banking account at the post office.

• Germany

It’s hard to imagine life without a bank account. In Europe, everyone, including refugees, asylum seekers and those with a tolerated stay have the right to a payment account with basic features. We look at the ins and outs of opening a bank account in Germany and everything that goes with it.

• Australia
• France
• Hungary

The United States is to start charging asylum seekers a fee to have their applications processed. The move has been widely criticized as infringing on people’s right to seek protection. Could the same thing happen in Europe?

• Italy

The Italian Banking Association (ABI) has said that asylum seekers must only show their stay permit to be able to open an account. The statement came after several reports of rejections by different banks and post offices.

• Belgium
• Germany
• Italy

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and other four large associations of European entities (AER, CPMR, CEMR, Eurocities) have launched an initiative called "Cities and Regions for the Integration of Migrants" to work together on European policies for migrant integration.