Germany has suspended admissions of refugees via a UN resettlement programme, the interior ministry said on Tuesday, as a new coalition government that is expected to tighten immigration rules prepares to take office.
Migration has been a contentious issue in coalition negotiations between Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats, which are expected to conclude within weeks.
The conservatives are advocating a stricter approach to asylum seekers in response to rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and several violent incidents involving refugees.
The two sides have struck a preliminary agreement to end voluntary federal admission programmes for refugees such as the U.N. programme - the only one currently active - and not to launch any new ones, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Germany has participated since 2016 in a European Union resettlement scheme that accepts refugees selected by the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR. Most come from Turkey, Egypt, Jordan or Kenya, or from Libya via Rwanda.
The ministry said 4,711 people had arrived in Germany through the programme since 2024, out of the 13,000 refugees that Germany has promised the European Commission it will take in for 2024 and 2025 combined.
Despite the suspension, admissions that are already well advanced, with concrete commitments, will go ahead, a ministry spokesperson said.
Israel said it struck military targets in western and central Iran on Monday, even after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Min...
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count...
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warn...
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome...
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they pre...
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as efforts to secure a ceasefire continue.
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