The difficulties of being gay in Iran
According to a new UN report, gays who come out in Iran do so at their own peril. Their only recourse is often political asylum.
political asylum
Number of asylum applications in Austria on the rise
The number of individuals seeking asylum in Austria has risen by roughly 10% in 2020. During the same period, the overall number of people seeking protection in the EU dropped by 31%.
Constitutional asylum: A rare status granted in France to 'freedom fighters'
In France, refugee status can be divided into two categories: The conventional refugee, whose protection is granted under the Geneva Convention, and the constitutional refugee, based on the French constitution. InfoMigrants takes a look at the requirements for this little-known second category.
New documentary explores one of the world's oldest dictatorships
"The writer from a country without bookshops" is a portrait of exiled poet Juan Tomas Avila Laurel, highlighting the long, brutal rule over his homeland, Equatorial Guinea.
Alex and Claudia: A migration love story
Alex Assali came to Germany in October 2014 from Syria, fleeing war, political persecution and IS. He obtained refugee status and wanted to give something back to Germany, so he started a soup kitchen for homeless people in Berlin. His actions went viral and now he has found love and marriage in Germany too.
23 Turkish citizens fled to Greece
More than 20 Turkish citizens who say they have been persecuted in their home country have fled to Greece to seek asylum. Greek news reports say they include families with children.
Mahbuba’s Story: Caught in the crossfire
Mahbuba Jebin has been involved in politics since she was a student in Bangladesh. She was a member of the student wing of the current ruling party, the Awami League. For years she lived a life of privilege and power. However, her decision to marry a member of the opposition BNP party put her at odds with many in her own party. A campaign of intimidation started which led her to flee the country she loves and seek asylum in the UK. Despite all the difficulties, she continues to write every day.
Austrian interior minister accused of 'attacking rule of law'
Herbert Kickl, Austria's far-right populist interior minister, came out for tough asylum laws. He even questioned the European Convention on Human Rights, infuriating Austria's president and Amnesty International.
German Bundestag deems Maghreb countries and Georgia 'safe' countries of origin
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.
Every second Turkish asylum seeker heads to Germany
About 50 percent of all people leaving Turkey because they feel politically persecuted seek shelter in Germany. In 2018, there were more than 10,000 asylum applications from Turks in Germany. About two-fifths of applicants were issued some form of protection.
#MessageBackHome: 'We want freedom of speech, freedom of religion'
Prithu Sanyal is a blogger and an atheist – both things are considered unacceptable in his country Bangladesh. He received death threats by Islamic militants and even his family members were against him. In Germany, he is relieved to be able to write about social issues, free speech and religious freedom again.
Athens refugees open language school to bridge cultural divides
Five political refugees from Iran and Turkey are trying to bridge the divide between Greeks and refugees with language lessons and literature translations. The collective is currently operating out of a tiny apartment, but hoping to one day open a cultural center.