Bundestag launches fast-track bill to recognise foreign medical degrees
Parliament debates new Bundespolizei law widening border-control powers
New employer duty: inform foreign staff about free legal advice from 1 January 2026
Latest News
Brandenburg warns of traffic chaos as Poland introduces border checks
Poland will introduce temporary border controls next week, prompting Brandenburg to warn of severe congestion at key crossings. Thousands of commuters and supply-chain deliveries between Poland and eastern Germany are likely to suffer delays.
EU co-legislators agree on stricter ‘safe third country’ rules for asylum – Germany to apply from 2026
EU negotiators finalised new criteria for designating ‘safe third countries’. From 2026 Germany will be able to declare many asylum applications inadmissible if applicants passed through or have ties to such countries, accelerating procedures.
Germany opens 24/7 national drone-defence centre in Berlin
Berlin has launched a permanent Joint Drone Defence Centre, uniting police and military units to counter the growing threat of rogue drones to German airspace and infrastructure. By creating a single real-time operations hub, the government hopes to reduce airport shutdowns, protect critical sites and give industry clearer rules for commercial drone use.
Overhead-line failure paralyses Cologne–Düsseldorf rail corridor, stranding 500 passengers
A snapped overhead power line between Cologne and Düsseldorf on 17 December halted traffic on one of Germany’s busiest rail arteries, forcing the evacuation of 500 passengers and causing widespread cancellations and detours. The disruption underscores the fragility of ageing rail infrastructure and poses immediate cost and scheduling headaches for corporate travellers.
OECD Migration Outlook 2025 highlights Germany’s record demand for skilled foreign labour
The OECD’s flagship migration report shows that Germany’s revamped Skilled Immigration Act is boosting inflows but still falls short of plugging the country’s widening skills gap. The study calls for faster credential recognition and warns that stricter citizenship rules could hurt retention of foreign talent.
EU-Western Balkans summit opens in Brussels with Germany pushing ‘returns-for-visas’ deal
At today’s EU-Western Balkans summit, Germany is spearheading a deal that links faster readmission of rejected asylum applicants to expanded visa opportunities for Balkan students and workers. The initiative could ease Germany’s asylum caseload while improving legal mobility channels valuable to German employers.