Children & Teens

Germany: Asylum-seeker who killed Kandel teen found dead in prison cell An Afghan asylum-seeker who was convicted of murdering a 15-year-old German girl in 2017 has been found dead in his prison cell. The murder case sparked months of anti-immigrant rallies and counterprotests.

(Deutsche Welle) Abdul D., an Afghan asylum-seeker convicted of stabbing his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend to death, was found dead at a juvenile prison in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, police and prosecutors said on Thursday. Authorities said in a statement that Abdul D.’s body […]

Immigration

German authorities investigating stolen truck ramming A man from Syria has been arrested after a truck plowed into a line of cars in the western city of Limburg. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said that as yet, there was no clear motive behind the incident.

(Deutsche Welle) German authorities were investigating Tuesday why a man rammed a stolen truck into a line of cars in Limburg, leaving eight people injured as well as the driver. Officials confirmed that the 32-year-old suspected hijacker had been detained. A judge later issued a […]

Government & Politics

Germany’s Horst Seehofer warns of ‘refugee wave’ bigger than in 2015 German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has called on the EU to do more to support Turkey and avoid another refugee crisis. If nothing is done, he said, the crisis may become 'even greater than four years ago.'

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has warned of a larger influx of refugees than that seen in Europe in 2015. He made the statement during an official visit to Greece. Traveling with incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, […]

Immigration

Man crying ‘Allahu Akbar’ tries to run into Berlin synagogue with knife Police subdue, arrest 23-year-old, apparently a Syrian refugee, who also shouted ‘Fuck Israel’ in Friday incident; German media says probe ongoing but suspect released from custody

(Times of Israel) A man armed with a knife attempted to run into a synagogue in central Berlin Friday evening, German media reported Saturday. The man, apparently a Syrian refugee, was tackled by security personnel at the entrance to the Neue Synagogue. […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

France investigates Eric Zammour for hate speech, Islamophobia The French prime minister has denounced the writer and journalist’s racist remarks.

(Morocco World News) The Paris prosecutor opened an investigation into Eric Zemmour’s remarks at the “Convention of the Right” on Saturday, September 28. Zemmour’s speech attacking immigrants, whom he qualified as “colonizers,” and “Islamization in the streets” has led to the opening […]

Burkini

More Finnish swimming pools offering women-only hours A number of swimming pools in Finland are introducing shifts or courses geared towards immigrants, especially women.

(Yle) Several public as well as private swimming pools in Finland are taking measures to encourage immigrants, particularly women, to learn how to swim. The Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation, an organisation dedicated to improving swimming skills and reducing drowning deaths […]

Government & Politics

Asylum approvals almost always right, German review finds — report Nearly all decisions to grant migrants asylum in Germany were justified, officials found after reviewing some 62,000 claims, according to a newspaper report. Hundreds of officials work on reviewing old cases.

(Deutsche Welle) While reviewing successful asylum applications, German officials found that only a tiny minority of asylum-seekers provided false information or tried to trick the officials, according to official data cited by Süddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday. Germany’s migration agency, BAMF, looked into […]