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All rights reserved Reporting by Anna Peverieri and Charlotte Bawol; Editing by Sharon Singleton Please note that only people who register using our registration form receive our press releases Dr. Gesine SteinerPress OfficerE-Mail: gesine.steiner@mfn.berlinTelefon: 030 889140-8917 Marc JeruselManager Strategic Digital CommunicationsE-Mail: marc.jerusel@mfn.berlinTel +49(0)30 889140-8738 Stefanie KrzyzniewskiHead of Public RelationsE-Mail: stefanie.krzyzniewski@mfn.berlinTel: +49 30 889140-8918 Register for press mailing list  Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Andrew Heavens A young man from Somalia sat next to them on a bench A group of five young Pakistanis chatted loudly standing behind two pregnant women from Vietnam The newcomers are among more than 10,000 migrants who have applied for asylum in the German capital this year, and are coming at a time when Berlin is running out of space to accommodate them “The situation is not very good at the moment,” Sascha Langenbach the spokesperson for the state office for refugee affairs in Berlin “This is much more than we expected last year.” The former mental health hospital in Berlin’s Reinickendorf neighborhood was turned into the city’s registration center for asylum seekers in 2019 and can house up to 1,000 migrants World & Nation Germany took in more than 1 million newcomers Officials have put an additional 80 beds in a church on the premises there are an additional 100 asylum shelters in Berlin Berlin’s state government says it will open a hangar at the former Tempelhof airport to make space for migrants put up a big tent at the asylum seekers’ registration center and open a former hardware store and hotels and hostels in the city to provide 5,500 more beds for more migrants the city is expecting will come through the end of the year There are also not enough places in kindergartens and schools Berlin has also taken in an additional 11,000 Ukrainian refugees this year who fled Russia’s war The lack of space and money for migrants and Ukrainian refugees isn’t unique to Berlin. It’s a problem across Germany, where local and state officials have been demanding more funds from the federal government without success. World & Nation Germany was suffering from yet another image problem deplored as a harsh and heartless overlord in its effort to impose financial discipline on its European neighbors More than 220,000 people applied for asylum in Germany between January and August — most of them from Syria 240,000 people applied for asylum in Germany That’s a far cry from the more than 1 million people who arrived in Germany in 2015-16 But Germany has also taken in more than 1 million Ukrainians since the outbreak of the war in 2022 Ukrainians immediately receive residency status in Germany and the 26 other European Union countries While Germans welcomed asylum seekers with flowers, chocolates and toys when they first arrived in 2015, and many opened their homes to house Ukrainians in 2022, the attitude toward new arrivals has profoundly changed since then. “After two years of the [COVID-19] crisis, then the Ukraine war with its increasing prices for basically everything — heating, gas, also food — it’s sometimes pretty tough to convince people that they have to share places and capacities with people who just arrived,” Langenbach said. Germany has banned the neo-Nazi group Hammerskins Germany and is raiding homes of dozens of its members Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, has been successfully exploiting Germans’ hardening attitudes toward migrants Polling now puts it in second place nationally with around 21% far above the 10.3% it won during the last federal election in 2021 AfD’s rise in the polls and the party leaders’ relentless anti-migrant rhetoric including calls to close Germany’s borders to prevent migrants from entering have put pressure on the national and state governments and other mainstream parties to toughen their own approach Germany’s interior minister announced that the country would increase border controls along “smuggling routes” with Poland and the Czech Republic to prevent migrants from entering illegally In June, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended plans to stop migrants from entering the EU altogether until their chances of getting asylum have been reviewed, arguing that the bloc’s existing arrangements on sharing the burden of asylum seekers among the different European countries is “completely dysfunctional.” The election of the first head of a county administration by the far-right Alternative of Germany in a region has led to concern among opponents Germany has been taking in more migrants than most other European countries but those efforts still pale in comparison with countries such as Turkey and Lebanon which shelter millions of migrants from Syria Despite the changing sentiment toward migrants in Germany those who make it and apply for asylum are generally grateful to be here recently arrived in Berlin and was waiting for the results of his medical checkup at the asylum welcome center He said he was relieved to be “in a safe place.” The 29-year-old said he had run away from home because his family’s house had been bombed in Syria’s civil war and he didn’t want to fight in the army. He said he’d paid 3,000 euros ($3,180) to smugglers who helped him get from Lebanon to Europe trekking with other young Syrians north via Bulgaria through forests by taxi and by bus until smugglers dropped them off in the German capital a Kurdish man from Bingol in eastern Turkey said he’d fled suppression by Turkish authorities He paid 6,000 euros ($6,360) for smugglers to arrange a flight from Ankara to Belgrade I hope I can find work,” the 24-year-old said with a shy smile as his uncle who applied for asylum in Berlin four years ago Michael Elias, head of Tamaja, the company that runs the asylum registration center in Berlin, said that the arrival of migrants from all over the world is simply a reflection of the many crises around the globe, such as climate change and wars, and that Germany needs to be prepared for even more people to arrive. “Yes, a lot of people are coming here, but look at what’s going on in the world,” Elias said. “We must simply anticipate that we’re not an island of the fortunate here, that things will reach us, too.” California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map View of the Whanki Museum’s main building Whanki Museum Reopens After Major Refurbishment   the private Whanki Museum in Seoul’s Buam-dong hillside neighborhood has reopened its doors to the public which is dedicated to the late Korean abstract artist Kim Whanki (1913–1974) had closed in February to revamp its 33-year-old building and gallery spaces museum director Park Mee-jung explained that aside from switching to LED lights in the galleries the building’s granite exterior had to be reconditioned “before it got too old.” The refurbished Whanki Museum welcomed visitors with two new exhibitions “Kim Whanki_The Immortal Nature” and “Kim Whanki_The Duet,” which spotlight more than 100 drawings and archival materials by the eponymous artist and will run through early March 2025 Courtesy Kunstlerhof Frohnau and the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf Arijit Bhattacharyya Wins Ruckhaberle Award 2024 The Künstlerhof Frohnau (KHF) and the Department of Art and History Reinickendorf in Berlin have announced Indian-born Weimar-based interdisciplinary artist Arijit Bhattacharyya as the winner of their sixth annual Ruckhaberle Award which honors visual artists living in Germany whose work illuminates underrepresented social and political narratives Bhattacharyya was selected for his ongoing research project a series of small-format drawings depicting vivid landscapes of violence by right-wing extremists shown alongside museal objects and an evocative audio commentary Along with a EUR 2,000 (USD 2,073) stipend Bhattacharyya will participate in an artist residency at Künstler Frohnau and develop a solo exhibition and publication of his work Works by all seven finalists are currently on view in a group exhibition at the GalerieETAGE in Berlin’s Museum Reinickendorf ANISH KAPOOR’s Yellow to Spanish and Pagan Gold San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins/Habana/Rome/Sao Paulo India Art Fair 2025 Reveals Further Program Details The citywide program includes an outdoor site-specific LED installation by Italian British artist duo Claire Fontaine based on their acclaimed series Foreigners Everywhere (2004– ); a major retrospective of Indian painter and poet Gulam Mohammed Sheikh at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; and a solo exhibition by Mumbai-based conceptual artist Shilpa Gupta at Bikaner House fair director Jaya Asokan stated: “Our program of commissions will see the city come alive South Asian art is truly having a moment and we’re incredibly proud to be playing our part in sharing it with the world!”  Courtesy the Center for Curatorial Studies CCS Bard Announces 26th Curatorial Prize Winner Bard College (CCS Bard) named Thai curator Gridthiya Gaweewong as the recipient of its annual 2025 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence which celebrates innovative and outstanding curators Gaweewong—who is currently the artistic director of the Bangkok-based Jim Thompson Art Center—focuses on the social changes in the post-Cold War era experienced by artists from Thailand and beyond Having curated exhibitions internationally she was also the artistic director of the Thailand Biennale 2023 in Chiang Rai alongside Thai installation artist Rirkrit Tiravanija CCS Bard’s executive director Tom Eccles remarked that her innovative curatorial approach “subverts institutional narratives in lieu of artist-led and personal perspectives.” Gaweewong was selected by an independent jury comprising leading curators Gaweewong stated in a press release: “It inspires me to curate passionately trusting art’s power to foster resilience and meaningful societal change.” info@aapmag.com You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Sep 19 (EFE).- The authorities of Berlin warned Tuesday that they have run out of places to accommodate more refugees and asylum seekers beyond the approximately 32,000 already housed in public facilities According to information from the Social Affairs Administration of the Berlin Senate the reception quota in the Regional Office for Refugees centers is full The same applies to the reception center for asylum seekers in the Reinickendorf district and the reception center for Ukrainians at the former Tegel airport these are reserved for a group of asylum seekers who will arrive before the end of the month through a reception program from Lebanon had applied for asylum in Berlin since the beginning of the year some 3,000 more than in the same period in 2022 These are in addition to some 11,000 Ukrainians who are automatically entitled to a temporary residence permit without being obliged to apply for refugee status A task force of the Berlin Social Affairs administration will meet today to find new spaces to house the new arrivals and Senator Cansel Kiziltepe has already advanced the possibility of erecting tents for this purpose the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Germany through the border with Poland has increased the government headed by the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has refused to introduce systematic border controls the German Interior Ministry announced last week that it has discontinued the reception of migrants and asylum seekers from Italy through the European voluntary sharing mechanism is that Rome refuses to take back those who are Italy’s responsibility under the rule that the first European country to register a potential refugee must process their application German municipalities have long complained that they lack the necessary resources to manage the reception and integration of the refugees assigned to them and those governed by the conservative opposition are demanding a more restrictive migration policy The European Union unveiled a list of seven nations designated as "safe" on Wednesday proposing a controversial policy to fast-track migrant deportations by curtailing asylum rights for citizens of these countries across the bloc The European Commission said it was proposing to designate Kosovo Morocco and Tunisia as "safe countries of origin" is set to allow EU governments to process asylum applications filed by citizens of those countries more quickly by introducing a presumption that such claims lack merit "Many member states are facing a significant backlog of asylum applications so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential," said Magnus Brunner Brussels has been under pressure to clamp down on irregular arrivals and facilitate deportations following a souring of public opinion on migration that has fuelled hard-right electoral gains in several countries the commission said EU candidate nations would also meet the criteria to be designated as safe countries including when they are hit by a conflict -- something that would The EU had already presented a similar list in 2015 but the plan was abandoned due to heated debates over whether or not to include Turkey The list published Wednesday can be expanded or reviewed over time and was drawn up looking at nations from which a significant number of applicants currently come Several member states already designate countries they deem "safe" for asylum — France's list The EU effort aims to harmonise rules and ensure that all members have the same baseline States can individually add countries to the EU list Asylum cases will still have to be examined individually ensuring that existing safeguards remain in place and asylum-seekers are not rejected outright The plan has to be approved by the European Parliament and member states before it can enter into force But it has already come under fire from human rights groups said some of the countries featured in the EU list suffered from "documented rights abuses and limited protections for both their own citizens and migrants" "Labelling them 'safe' is misleading — & dangerous" Irregular border crossings detected into the European Union were down 38% to 239,000 last year after an almost 10-year peak in 2023 EU leaders called in October for urgent new legislation to increase and speed up returns and for the commission to assess "innovative" ways to counter irregular migration less than 20% of people ordered to leave the bloc are returned to their country of origin the commission unveiled a planned reform of the 27-nation bloc's return system which opened the way for member states to set up migrant return centres outside the EU Matteo Piantedosi Wednesday hailed the EU's  "I'm looking to have four great years and turn it over to somebody ideally a great Republican," Trump tells NBC Xi will hold bilateral talks with Putin on strategic ties and issues on international and regional agenda Sources say there was "alleged impropriety" in publicity Swindon and Greater Manchester area on suspicion of "terrorism offences" Closed-door “general congregations” allow cardinals to discuss challenges new pontiff will face Copyright © 2025. The News International, All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Authors Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Lincoln Feast Please enable JavaScript to view this page correctly This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Germany – The German chimney sweep’s steely resolve in the face of vertiginous heights soot and even spiders is facing a tougher enemy: European Union bureaucrats who want to open the trade up to foreign competition Chimney sweeps have been a part of the German fabric of work and culture since the Middle Ages They are trusted figures in this country where tradition still holds sway despite advancing technology and open borders But the trade is now the focus of the EU as it tries to enforce laws giving all residents access to jobs anywhere in the 25-nation bloc chimney sweeps in Germany enjoy a near monopoly on their business – something that has not really changed since the first guidelines overseeing the profession were set down in the 17th century Though the law technically allows foreigners to become sweeps the reality is that numerous barriers make it all but impossible for non-Germans to find work in the trade each one assigned one sweep who may employ one or two helpers they also perform maintenance and annual safety checks on modern heating systems Residents can only use the sweep assigned to their area and are forbidden by law to try and find someone cheaper That creates a virtually insurmountable obstacle for any outsider trying to break into the business “That has its good sides and should stay that way because (the sweep) doesn’t depend on his customer in a way that he would have to be afraid that if he will issue a negative report the customer will take someone else the next time,” said Johannes Toex a master chimney sweep from Schmelz in Saarland The EU feels such arguments go against basic EU treaty freedoms dating back to 1957 that gives all EU citizens the right to work anywhere in the bloc the European Commission sent the German government a letter saying it was concerned about the lack of competition and the fact that foreign sweeps were unable to find work “The German Government stated that it was prepared to amend the law on chimney sweeps and proposed a timetable for doing so,” the European Commission said adding that such a change was set for 2006 the final step before taking Germany to the European Court of Justice The EU’s decision to pursue Germany over this relatively minor infraction is evidence of the EU’s resolve to keep borders open and opportunities available “Any manual work is going to be dramatically underbid by workers who offer the same quality at a lower price,” Gregory said “That’s going to occur in huge ways certainly all over Western Europe.” chimney sweeps roamed Germany looking for work but Heinrich Himmler then acting interior minister for the Nazi government mandated that sweeps could be responsible for only one district The law was amended in 1969 to allow for non-Germans Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens TDS Telecommunications continues expanding its high-speed all-fiber internet network into more Spokane-area neighborhoods © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy The funeral services will begin at home at 10.30 am His mortal remains were brought home by Monday night from Germany The body is now being kept at a mortuary in a hospital in Chengannur Adam Joseph (Bijumon), son of the late George Joseph and Lilly Daniel, was a resident of Mattom North, Thattarambalam, Mavelikkara. His body was found lying in a bathroom with stab wounds in an apartment at Reinickendorf a district in the North West part of Berlin The Berlin police's 4th homicide squad has begun a probe into the case Adam's roommates in Berlin told Onmanorama that Adam had gone for a walk on the night of September 30 and never came back The friends later filed a missing complaint an African national turned up at the police station with a lawyer saying that he murdered a man in self-defence and the deceased's body had been lying in his apartment for two days His friends said that Adam usually went for walk at night and on September 30 The police have collected the statements from his friends as part of the probe The police have not divulged any further details on the case a significant stretch of the "hinterland" wall has been preserved 60 years after the construction of the Berlin Wall traces can still be found in the city that have been forgotten since its fall in November 1989: the Pankow hinterland wall.DDR-Museum/MarotzBerlin-Not much is left of the wall that separated East and West Berlin for almost 30 years A few segments of the Wall still stand on Bernauer Straße A few stray to a far-flung corner of Wilhelmsruh where a 150-metre section of the Wall has now been declared a historic monument The overgrown concrete wall at the end of Schillerstraße once belonged to East Germany's border installations The section of the "hinterland wall" - a secondary barrier on the eastern side - now borders an idyllic garden plot and a daycare centre It once separated Wilhelmsruh in the east from Reinickendorf in the west and is one of the last completely intact sections of the hinterland wall which had not yet been protected as a historic monument The red line illustrates where the hinterland barrier ran before the fall of the Wall The brown line marks the main wall.DDR-MuseumIn communist times the VEB Bergmann-Borsig factory was located on the large industrial site All of East Germany's power plants were built here the factory with 4,500 employees was located directly on the new border to West Berlin The workers were subjected to special security measures the exhibition manager of the DDR Museum who rediscovered this piece of the Wall completed an apprenticeship at the plant as an electrical mechanic during the final months of East Germany His dream was to work on nuclear power plants in the GDR The remaining three to three-and-a-half metre high wall was built in its current form in the 1970s East German authorities said the barrier was intended to prevent Western spies from spying on company secrets It would have been easier to get one of the 4,500 workers to do it After the Wall was built in the summer of 1961 several escape attempts were made at the VEB Bergmann-Borsig site Holes were made in the initial  brick wall People would escape on weekends when the factory was empty A tunnel to the West was dug from the site - through which several people successfully escaped The Berliner Zeitung English Edition weekly newsletter A peculiarity of this stretch of wall is a small But this wasn't the stuff of spy novels There was a storage area adjacent to the winding border and for factory workers it was easier to transport materials right through the wall strip than around it The fact that the stretch of wall is now a listed monument means it can't be demolished rail operator Niederbarnimer Eisenbahngesellschaft the route of the famous Heidekrautbahn rail line is to run directly along the wall up to Schorfheide in Brandenburg Sign up to our weekly English newsletter.