German Chancellor Angela Merkel starts a two-day trip to Egypt and Tunisia on Thursday, part of her push to limit migrant flows to Europe through North Africa, especially chaos-torn Libya.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Tuesday on the EU and North African countries to do deals modelled on a controversial agreement with Turkey to stem migrant flows to Europe.
Germany's upper house of parliament on Friday delayed a decision on labelling three North African nations as "safe countries of origin", after the Greens torpedoed the move aimed at curbing the influx of migrants.
German MPs voted on Friday to classify Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria as "safe countries of origin" – meaning that asylum applications will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances.
Germany wants North African countries to speed up repatriations of rejected asylum seekers, its interior minister said ahead of a visit from Sunday to the region.
Germany’s Vice-Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, has threatened to withdraw aid from north African countries if they don’t cooperate on taking back rejected asylum seekers.
Germany wants Algeria and Morocco to take back their nationals with no residence permits in Germany after a sharp rise in asylum seekers from the two North African countries, officials said Friday.
Migrants arriving in Germany from North Africa are disproportionately likely to commit crime, police figures show - but deporting them isn’t always straightforward.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will welcome participants in the Libya peace process to Berlin on Wednesday for a first meeting of warring factions with EU and UN representatives.
Germany and Europe should open their doors to refugees fleeing North African unrest and instability rather than barricading the borders, according to the Evangelical Bishop of Central Germany, Ilse Junkermann.
