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DW
30-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Germany: Asylum-seeker numbers on the rise in 2024 – DW – 06/30/2025
The number of people seeking refuge and political protection in Germany rose in 2024 in comparison to the previous year, official data show. Meanwhile, former Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized her party's policies. The number of asylum-seekers in Germany rose by 4.1% in 2024 in comparison to 2023, from 3.18 million to 3.3 million, the German Central Register of Foreign Nationals said on Monday. The figures, published by the Federal Statistical Office, include those officially categorized as refugees, as well as those with limited protection status. About a million asylum-seekers are Ukrainian nationals, with Syrians (713,000), Afghans (348,000), Iraqis (190,000) and Turkish nationals (157,000) following. According to the Central Register, the average age of Germany's asylum-seekers is 32, with the average time being in Germany is about 6.5 years. About 45% of the asylum-seekers registered are women, and 27% are under the age of 18. 82% of those seeking shelter in Germany — some 2.7 million people — are in possession of humanitarian residence permits, with the legal status of 427,000 others still being cleared. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meanwhile, criticized the rejection of asylum-seekers at Germany's borders, a policy being implemented by the current government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The issue of migration has been a major theme in German politics for many years. Merz's new government has sought to impose tougher measures to control irregular migration, including turning away asylum seekers at the border and limiting family reunification for some categories of asylum-seekers. "If someone stands at the German border and says they need asylum, they must receive the proper due process," Merkel said in a conversation with five refugees in Berlin, a conversation published by public broadcaster WDR. "As far as I'm concerned, the process can take place at the border itself, but a process must take place." Merkel said that while there needs to be a system as a result of which people smugglers will not get to decide who comes to Germany, there needs to be a consideration regarding who needs asylum the most, also mentioning the role the job market's need for employees plays. "We have to think about it in European terms," Merkel said. Merkel is known to have had her disagreements with Merz, the current chancellor, during her time leading the CDU and afterwards.
DW
30-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Angela Merkel criticizes asylum policy – DW – 06/30/2025
German ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel has slammed the rejection of asylum-seekers at the border under the current government. Meanwhile, the debate on banning the far-right AfD has gained momentum. DW has German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized the rejection of asylum-seekers at Germany's borders, a policy being implemented by the current government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "If someone stands at the German border and says they need asylum, they must receive the proper due process," Merkel said in a conversation with five refugees in Berlin, a conversation published by public broadcaster WDR. "As far as I'm concerned, the process can take place at the border itself, but a process must take place." Merkel said that while there needs to be a system as a result of which people smugglers will not get to decide who comes to Germany, there needs to be a consideration regarding who needs asylum the most, also mentioning the role the job market's need for employees plays. "We have to think about it in European terms," Merkel said. This comes as the number of asylum-seekers in Germany rose by 4.1% in 2024 in comparison to 2023, from 3.18 million to 3.3 million, according to the German Central Register of Foreign Nationals. Fire broke out at the construction site of a 20-storey building in Berlin Monday morning, with some 100 firefighters already being on site to put out the blaze. According to the DPA news agency, black smoke could be seen on the roof of the building, with the fire's cause being still unclear. Explosions also took place on the roof. "Fire appears to be out, but the operation is ongoing. More emergency service personnel continue to arrive on the scene. Firefighters can be seen on the roof of the building," said DW reporter Matthew Moore. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to discuss support for Ukraine as it continues its more than three-year fight against a full-scale invasion by Russia, the German Foreign Ministry said on Monday. In a statement made upon arrival, Wadephul slammed Russia's President Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian leader wanted to conquer and subjugate Ukraine at any price. "We will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine's side so that it can continue to defend itself successfully — with modern air defense and other weapons, with humanitarian and economic aid," Wadephul said. Germany is Ukraine's second-biggest backer after the United States. Wadephul's visit comes as Europe is struggling to fill the gap left by the Trump administration in the US, whose commitment to Kyiv has been called into question. Washington has not announced any new help for Kyiv since early January. Nearly three-quarters of people living in Germany believe their pensions will be insufficient to allow them to keep their current standard of living, with just over half of them prepared to keep working beyond the official retirement age for that reason, a survey released on Monday has shown. In all, 54.3% of 1,163 respondents in the YouGov poll said they would be willing to keep on working beyond the legal retirement age, most of them part-time and up to the age of 70. Of this group, one in five (19.8%) said they would keep working only if they received higher pay. Altogether some 33% said they would not be willing to work beyond the retirement age. The German government is planning to change rules so that older people can stay in the workforce if they so desire. The standard retirement age in Germany is being gradually raised from 65 to 67 by 2029. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Sunday threw cold water on a motion by the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) calling for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to be banned. Dobrindt is a member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which leads a coalition government with the SPD. At the close of its three-day congress in Berlin, the SPD passed a motion calling for preparations to ban the far-right AfD, after the party was classified as a "right-wing extremist" group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency. That designation has been suspended pending a legal challenge by the AfD. In a statement to the news agency dpa, the Green Party said it agrees with the SPD's position. Speaking to the " podcast on Sunday, Dobrindt said "decisions made at the SPD party conference are not yet a mandate for the interior minister." Dobrindt instead called for a cautious approach and to allow for the legal process to play out. He said a federal-state interior ministers working group will address the AfD issue if the "right-wing extremist" designation is upheld in court. The working group is awaiting a ruling from the Cologne Administrative Court on whether it agrees with the "extremist" designation. Dobrindt, as well as Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), have previously said they are skeptical of banning the AfD, which is known for its nationalist, anti-immigration, anti-Muslim and Eurosceptic policies. The AfD has grown in popularity over the past decade to become Germany's largest opposition party. A woman and a young girl were found dead on a forest path in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, on Sunday only days after a reported robbery on the same trail in Dorsten-Holsterhausen. Police said the woman, believed to be between 25 and 30-years-old, had a head wound and may have been a victim a violent crime. The child, estimated to be between 2 and 3-years-old, was found nearby. Neither has been identified. On Thursday a 40-year-old woman and her 1-year-old child were attacked on the same path by a man and a woman who tried to steal her handbag, before fleeing in a black BMW X6. Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, has called for Germany to immediately gain access to nuclear weapons. "Russian aggression is a completely new threat," Spahn told . He added that US nuclear bombs stationed in Germany are no longer sufficient to deter nuclear weapons. "Europe must become capable of deterrence," the conserative politician said. "We must talk about German or European participation in the nuclear arsenal of France and Great Britain, possibly also about our own participation with other European states." He added, "Anyone who cannot deter nuclear weapons becomes a pawn in global politics." Spahn's proposal was met with strong criticism from the Left Party and the SPD, a coalition partner. SPD foreign policy expert Rolf Mützenich accused Spahn of playing with fire "when he calls for European, possibly even German, nuclear weapons." Mützenich explained that the SPD is clearly committed to the goal of nuclear non-proliferation. The German Bundeswehr does not possess its own nuclear weapons. However, some nuclear weapons are stored in Germany under US control. In an emergency, the Bundeswehr could be called upon to deploy these weapons. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At its party congress in Berlin, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) , which is part of the ruling coalition, voted against resuming any natural gas deliveries from Russia through the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. The Nord Stream pipeline system consists of two double pipelines running across the Baltic Sea to Germany. Nord Stream 1 became operational in 2011, allowing Russia to deliver directly to its German clients without paying transit fees to eastern European countries. While traditional land pipelines continued to operate after 2011, the Nord Stream project and its expansion plans enraged multiple governments in the region, including Kyiv, that saw its leverage as a gas transit country diminish in any future disputes with Russia. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It also drew condemnation from US and EU officials, who warned that Germany was becoming too dependent on Russian gas. However, Berlin proceeded to work with Russia to build Nord Stream 2, which would run mostly parallel to the original one. German officials insisted the gas transit route was purely an economic project. Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021. However, it never became operational due to deteriorating relations between Russia and the West, and was eventually hit by unexplained explosions in September 2022. Additional explosions destroyed both pipelines of Nord Stream 1. Despite reports indicating Ukrainian operatives were involved in the blasts, the responsability was never officialy established. Recently, speculation has mounted about a potential US takeover of the insolvent Nord Stream pipeline operator, which could facilitate commissioning. On Sunday, however, the delegates at the SPD party conference said they opposed such proposal that may come from their partners in the ruling coalition and "the US Republican Party." During his visit to Israel, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Germany is aiming to establish a joint cyberresearch center and strengthen collaboration between the countries' intelligence and security agencies. "Military defense alone is not sufficient for this turning point in security. A significant upgrade in civil defense is also essential to strengthen our overall defensive capabilities," Dobrindt said, according to Germany's newspaper. According to a report, Dobrindt also outlined a five-point plan to establish a "Cyber Dome" for Germany as part of its cyberdefense strategy. Germany is one of Israel's closest allies in Europe. As it boosts its military capabilities and contributions to NATO in the face of perceived growing threats from Russia and China, Berlin has increasingly looked to draw upon Israel's defense expertise. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As a continentwide heat wave is set to worsen in the coming days, the German Weather Service issued warnings for southern and western regions, with peaks of 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 F) expected on Wednesday. Alerts were in place from 11 a.m. (9 a.m. UTC) Sunday in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. "Avoid the heat if possible, drink enough water and keep indoor spaces cool," the weather service said. On Monday, Germany's southern regions could see temperatures reach 35 degrees, with summer storms likely in Alpine areas and the Black Forest. The heatwave is then likely to subside, bringing cooler, stormy weather to many regions. Southern Europe is currently experiencing a serious heatwave, with temperatures in Spain reaching over 40 degrees. At the close of its three-day congress in Berlin, Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) passed a motion calling for preparations to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. "The moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics," party co-leader Lars Klingbeil said. He also serves as finance minister and vice chancellor in Friedrich Merz's government. The motion, put forward by the SPD, calls on the relevant constitutional bodies to lay the groundwork for filing a case to declare the anti-immigrant AfD unconstitutional. "Now is the time for the constitutional bodies entitled to do so to create the conditions for immediately filing a motion to determine the unconstitutionality of the AfD," the text reads. Calls to ban the AFD intensified after Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), reclassified the party in May as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" group, enabling expanded surveillance. However, this designation has been suspended pending a legal challenge by the AfD, meaning the agency will now treat the party as a "suspected" case until the Cologne Administrative Court reaches a decision. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The finals of the first German dachshund racing contest took place in the eastern city of Magdeburg, the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The short-legged dogs were encouraged to run the 40-meter (132-foot) course with the help of whistles, toys and treats. A total of 220 dogs were entered in the competition, which began on Saturday. Each dog was managed by teams of two people: one held the dog at the start, while the other shouted encouragement at the finish line. Eight dogs competed in each heat. The different classes racing included miniature and other classes, along with the standard breed. The dachshund breed is believed to date back to the early 18th century. They may have been bred to hunt badgers, though this is disputed. During an unexpected visit to Tel Aviv on Sunday, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt offered unqualified support for Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear weapons program. "Iran has been destabilizing this region for years, for decades, one has to say, with its support for terrorist groups to the north, to the south, to the east of Israel," he said. Dobrindt said Iran's nuclear program was "a real threat to Israel's right to exist and a threat to Europe as well." The German minster said Tehran had received a clear message that Israel, the United States and allies such as Germany could not tolerate research on or construction of nuclear weapons. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes. Dobrindt made these comments while visiting the site of a deadly Iranian missile attack in Bat Yam with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. He described the attack as an assault on the civilian population and expressed his belief that Iran would use any nuclear bomb it developed against Israel. Dobrindt said that Germany would continue to do all it could to secure Israel's existence. Markus Söder, Bavaria's state premier and head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), called for the acquisition of thousands of drones, new missile systems and a German version of the "Iron Dome" consisting of 2,000 Patriot missiles in case of attacks. "Germany needs a protective shield with precision weapons," Söder told newspaper, adding that this would include a modern drone army of 100,000 drones and a defense shield similar to Israel's "Iron Dome." "We should cooperate with Ukraine and Israel and use their experience," Söder said. In addition to drones, Söder called for 300 new battle tanks, 500 infantry fighting vehicles, 35 additional Eurofighter warplanes, and 1,000 more Taurus cruise missiles. He also called for the Bundeswehr to have its own satellites. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video , and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Sunday, June 29. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) concludes its party congress in Berlin. On Friday, Lars Klingbeil was reelected as co-leader of the party, receiving 65% support, a significant decrease from the 85.6% he garnered in 2023. For all of the latest news from Germany, stay tuned here.
DW
13-06-2025
- Politics
- DW
Israel attacks put pressure on Germany's Middle East policy – DW – 06/13/2025
Trapped between what it sees as a historical responsibility to Israel and international law and diplomacy, Germany is facing a tough foreign policy test after the latest Israeli attacks on Iran. Germany's foreign policy in the Middle East has always involved a delicate balancing act — a balancing act that just got a little more difficult. Israel's attack on Iran this week is likely to put further pressure on Germany's close relationship with Israel. Israel's security is part of Germany's so-called "Staatsräson," or "reason of state." Former Chancellor Angela Merkel popularized the term when she addressed the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in 2008. Although the idea has no official legal standing, Merkel's successor, Olaf Scholz, doubled down on it in the months after the militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. More recently though, the severe humanitarian consequences of Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip have made it difficult for the German government to find a suitable position on the conflict there. Only a few days ago, Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "frankly speaking, I no longer understand what the goal of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip is," during a television interview. "Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism," he told German public broadcaster WDR. Despite those statements though, there have been no consequences. For example, Germany continues to send weapons to Israel. An apartment building in Teheran hit by Israeli airstrikes Image: Vahid Salemi/AP/dpa/picture alliance Germany's support to Israel The Israeli government is defending its latest strikes against Iran by saying it was acting against "an existential threat." Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a "pre-emptive strike" because Iran was close to developing a nuclear bomb, something Israel wanted to prevent happening. The German government appears to share that opinion. In a press statement issued the morning of the first Israeli strikes, Merz said Israel had "the right to defend its existence and its citizens." Merz had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and Netanyahu had informed him of the military action and its objectives. The press statement also said that the German government has repeatedly expressed concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. Iran's "nuclear program violates the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel," the German government statement said. The goal of any diplomatic intervention and de-escalation, which Germany supports, must be that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons, the statement concluded. Friedrich Merz (left) met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in 2024, when Merz was the leader of the German opposition Image: Kobi Gideon/GPO/dpa/picture alliance That reaction from the German government was to be expected, Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Netherlands-based Counter Extremism Project, told DW. "Now it is the direct negotiations between the US and the Iranians that are crucial," Schindler said. "The previous negotiating format — Germany, France, the UK and the US, with the Iranians — is not a part of this any longer. In this conflict the Europeans are increasingly spectators, rather than actors." Growing criticism of Israel Schindler does not believe that the current military escalation will change anything around Germany's position on Israel. "We're not just any other country. We're Germany, with the history of the Holocaust," he explained. "In that sense there's absolutely no other moral or ethical option than expressing solidarity with Israel." That does not mean that Germany has to approve of each Israeli military operation and every Israeli government decision, Schindler continued. "The new German government seems much more prepared to criticize than the previous one," he noted. During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington in April 2025, US President Donald Trump (left) assured him of the US' support Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS Voices critical of the Netanyahu government had recently been growing louder in the German government, including in the governing coalition made up of conservatives from the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and the Christian Social Union, as well as the left-centrist Social Democrats, or SPD. Some members of the government seem to fear being pressured by Israel. At the end of last month, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany would not allow what he called "compulsory solidarity." During his visit to Cairo, Wadephul commented on the Iranian strikes that came in retaliation for the earlier Israeli ones. "We condemn the indiscriminate Iranian attack on Israeli territory in the strongest possible terms," Wadephul, a member of the CDU, said. "Iran is currently attacking Israel with hundreds of drones. There are initial reports of casualties. These developments are more than worrying." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had apparently informed him of the attack. Israel's months-long military offensive in Gaza has led Germany to be increasingly critical of Israeli actions Image: REUTERS After the Israeli attacks on Iran, SPD foreign policy specialist Rolf Mützenich told German public radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that Israel had the right to defend itself. However, that right should be connected to imminent danger and an existential threat. Whether those prerequisites had been present for Israel to base its attack on, would certainly be discussed at the United Nations Security Council, or UNSC. At the same time, Mützenich also confirmed the dangers posed by the Iranian nuclear program, adding that Teheran had also acted irresponsibly and was also part of the current escalation spiral. International law? Whether Israel's attack on Iran was legitimate under international law is also being discussed. Law experts say a preemptive strike is actually only permissible under certain, very specific conditions — for example, when there is an imminent threat that cannot be prevented any other way. Foreign policy spokesperson and co-chair of Germany's Left party, Jan van Aken, described the Israeli attack as "a serious violation of international law, which cannot be justified as self-defense." The UNSC should meet today in order to decide on the nature of this attack, van Aken said. "All sides must immediately deescalate, also to protect the affected civilian population in Iran and Israel," he added. A synagogue in Hannover: Jewish institutions are guarded by police in Germany (file photo, 2023) Image: Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance/dpa Some German politicians also see danger developing inside their own country due to the Israeli attack on Iran. The country's Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt said that, after talking to his counterparts in states around Germany, Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany would get extra protection, so they are prepared in case a potential domestic threat develops. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also said it would close all consulates and embassies worldwide.
Boston Globe
04-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
German city evacuates 20,000 after unexploded World War II bombs are found
Advertisement While discoveries of unexploded World War II ordnance — 80 years on from the end of the conflict — are not uncommon across Germany and parts of Europe, the proximity of the bombs to downtown Cologne and other densely populated areas was notable. Each large bomb was fitted with an impact fuse, meaning the bomb is less likely to go off on its own over time, but it is still dangerous if disturbed. 'In that respect, they are dangerous, yes. But it's definitely not the case that we need to panic,' Kai Kulschewski told local radio station WDR 5 on Wednesday. Kulschewski is the head of neighboring city Düsseldorf's explosive ordnance disposal department, which is overseeing the evacuation and detonation. Homes, businesses, government buildings, 58 hotels, and nine schools were within the evacuation zone, the city said. The area also included the busy Messe/Deutz train station and a major hospital, whose intensive-care patients were moved to nearby hospitals by ambulance. Advertisement City authorities began the evacuations at 8 a.m., conducting door-to-door checks and warning that people who refused to evacuate could be escorted by force and face steep fines. Footage on Wednesday afternoon showed that streets usually teeming with people and traffic were empty. Public transport was severely disrupted, with roads closed and train services halted. Flights at Cologne Bonn Airport continued operating, but access to the airport was impeded. Cultural landmarks, including the Cologne Philharmonie and museums, were forced to close for the day. More than a dozen couples scheduled to wed at Cologne's city hall had to relocate their ceremonies, WDR reported. Early Wednesday afternoon, WDR reported that few people had arrived at the shelters for displaced residents; instead people had taken advantage of the good weather. Kulschewski told WDR that around 1,500 to 2,000 unexploded bombs from World War II are found every year across North Rhine-Westphalia, the state in which Cologne is located. In 2010, three workers died trying to defuse a bomb in the city of Göttingen when it exploded. Also that decade, in the city of Euskirchen, a construction worker was killed when he detonated an explosive from the war while digging.
Al Etihad
04-06-2025
- General
- Al Etihad
German city evacuates 20,000 after unexploded World War II bombs are found
4 June 2025 21:10 BERLIN (AGENCIES)Some 20,500 people were being evacuated from the city of Cologne in western Germany as explosives experts prepared to defuse three unexploded World War II bombs found during construction work this evacuation, which comes after the discovery Monday of three American-made bombs, is the largest in Cologne since the end of World War II, the city administration said.A crucial industrial, cultural and logistical hub for Nazi Germany, Cologne was a primary target of Allied bombers during World War authorities cordoned off a 3,280-foot radius around Deutz, a busy district next to the Rhine river, across from the Old discoveries of unexploded World War II ordnance - 80 years on from the end of the conflict - are not uncommon across Germany and parts of Europe, the proximity of the bombs to downtown Cologne and other densely populated areas was large bomb was fitted with an impact fuse, meaning the bomb is less likely to go off on its own over time, but it is still dangerous if disturbed."In that respect, they are dangerous, yes. But it's definitely not the case that we need to panic,' Kai Kulschewski told local radio station WDR 5 on is the head of neighboring city Dusseldorf's explosive ordnance disposal department, which is overseeing the evacuation and businesses, government buildings, 58 hotels and nine schools are within the evacuation zone, the city said. The area also includes the busy MesseDeutz train station and a major hospital, whose intensive-care patients were moved to nearby hospitals by disposal experts plan to defuse the devices later Wednesday, once the entire zone is cleared. City authorities began the evacuations at 8am, conducting door-to-door checks and warning that people who refused to evacuate could be escorted by force and face steep on Wednesday afternoon showed that streets usually teeming with people and traffic were empty. Public transport was severely disrupted, with roads closed and train services halted. Flights at Cologne Bonn Airport continued operating, but access to the airport was landmarks, including the Cologne Philharmonie and museums, were forced to close for the day. More than a dozen couples scheduled to wed at Cologne's city hall had to relocate their ceremonies, WDR Wednesday afternoon, WDR reported that few people had arrived at the shelters for displaced residents; people had instead taken advantage of the good continued to sail on the Rhine, although authorities warned that they would clear a stretch of the river once the defusing told WDR that around 1,500 to 2,000 unexploded bombs from World War II are found every year across North Rhine-Westphalia, the state in which Cologne is located. In 2010, three workers died trying to defuse a bomb in the city of Göttingen when it exploded. Also that decade, in the city of Euskirchen, a construction worker was killed when he detonated an explosive from the war while digging.
