Saxony wants to accelerate the integration of foreign pupils
The inclusion of children from migrant families in everyday school life is a challenge. Preparatory classes are intended to make this easier. Saxony wants to step up the pace.
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Schuster wants another step after border controls
Germany extended border controls in September 2024. The much-discussed measure is working, says the Interior Minister - and orders an extension.
Kretschmer rules out return to Berlin
Two ministerial posts in the outgoing federal government are occupied by East Germans. With a view to the future cabinet, there are clear demands from Saxony.
Kretschmer: The AfD's biggest enemy is the CDU
Saxony's Minister President Kretschmer clearly backs Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz in the migration debate. Attitude is not a substitute for action.
Rising demand for migration advice in Saxony
Rising case numbers are pushing the staff at Diakonie Sachsen to their limits when it comes to migration counseling. Added to this are financial difficulties.
Renewed criticism of deportation - authorities defend procedure
Did the Saxon authorities act inhumanely when deporting a Georgian family? The accounts of the Refugee Council and the State Directorate differ.
Merz calls on SPD to give in on migration policy
Union chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz wants to make the AfD superfluous. He also believes that his own party is partly to blame for its rise.
Asylum policy: CDU and SPD at loggerheads in Saxony
Reactions to the CDU's plans for a tougher migration policy are fierce. The CDU/CSU in Saxony takes offense at a post by its coalition partner, the SPD.
Demonstrations against Union plans on migration
The protest follows hot on the heels. In a vote on migration policy, the AfD becomes a majority procurer for the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag for the first time. The streets of the country are filled with discontent.
Köpping calls for objectivity in the asylum debate
The CDU/CSU's push for the consistent rejection of certain asylum seekers is causing debate. SPD politician Petra Köpping calls for prudence.
Saxony deploys labor market mentors for refugees
Mentors help refugees who are looking for work. The program has been running since 2016 and is now being continued with a special focus.
Police register significantly fewer unauthorized entries
The federal police have been carrying out checks at Saxony's borders with Poland and the Czech Republic since October 2023. Since then, significantly fewer people have entered the country without valid papers.
Heimatunion sees CDU freed from "hostage-taking"
Union chancellor candidate Merz is sticking to proposals for a tougher migration policy despite criticism, even if the AfD agrees. In Saxony, he has the support of the CDU/CSU.
Hardship commission allows 77 people to stay
The Hardship Commission is often the last hope for foreigners facing deportation. It can apply for a residence permit for urgent humanitarian or personal reasons.
More deportations from Saxony
In the previous year, 936 people were deported from Saxony - a third of whom were convicted criminals. Meanwhile, plans for a departure center are progressing.
Waldheim to receive permanent asylum accommodation
Three large asylum shelters in each of the three regions of Chemnitz, Leipzig and Dresden - that is the strategy of the Free State of Saxony. One of the facilities is to be located in Waldheim.
Refugee Council criticizes deportations to Venezuela
The Saxon Refugee Council repeatedly draws attention to cases in which asylum seekers are deported despite difficult personal circumstances. The criticism continues.
Significantly fewer asylum applications in Saxony than in previous years
Significantly fewer asylum applications were submitted in Saxony in 2024 than in the previous year. A trend that is reflected throughout Germany.
Saxony's initial reception facilities only half full
At times, newly arriving refugees in Saxony were housed in tents. The situation in the initial reception facilities is now much more relaxed.
Saxony wants to gradually expand departure center
Deportations of rejected asylum seekers often fail because the people concerned cannot be found. Saxony wants to counter this with an exit center.
Kretschmer accuses federal government of inaction on migration
The CDU and CSU want to reduce migration and turn back refugees at the borders if they enter from an EU country, for example. The CDU/CSU in Saxony is also backing this.
Schuster calls for opening up the return program for Syrians
Following the change of power in Syria, many refugees may want to return to their home country. Saxony would like to expand its support for returnees.
Number of new asylum seekers in Saxony falls sharply
The controls at the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland appear to be having an effect. Although the international conflicts are not decreasing, the number of refugees arriving in Saxony is falling.
Schuster: Departure center should increase deportation rate
The CDU and SPD have agreed to test a deportation center. The Minister of the Interior wants to use this to increase the success rate of deportations.
Initiatives exchange vouchers for money for asylum seekers
Since April, asylum seekers have been given a payment card instead of cash. The Refugee Council criticizes this measure. Initiatives are now offering the exchange for cash
Hundreds of refugees left the country with financial aid
Support programs are intended to encourage refugees without the right to stay to return to their home country. The number of returnees in Saxony has risen recently.
Association of migrant organizations founded in Saxony
The umbrella association of Saxon migrant organizations (DSM) files for insolvency following criticism from the state court of auditors. A new association has now been founded to continue the work for migrants.
Eastern countries want more skilled workers from abroad
The shortage of skilled workers is affecting the eastern German states. The federal government should provide solutions. What are the heads of government from the east demanding?
Heads of government of the eastern German states discuss securing skilled workers
The heads of government of the eastern German states are meeting in Berlin. What is on the agenda?
Upward trend in asylum procedures in Saxony continues
Refugees can take legal action against a rejection of their asylum application. The files are piling up at the administrative courts - and the proceedings are taking longer again.
Unauthorized entries on the decline - the result of new controls?
Stationary border controls have been in place at all German land borders since mid-September. The number of unauthorized entries is falling. However, this also has to do with another aspect.
More deportations from Saxony
So far this year, 90 more people have been deported from Saxony than in 2023, almost 240 in the third quarter alone.
More than 53,000 unauthorized entries registered
Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area. However, the German Interior Minister has ordered them for a number of reasons. Now there are figures for the first nine months of the year.
Federal states agree on demands on migration
Despite difficult consultations, the heads of state have agreed on a package of demands for managing migration. Among other things, the revival of the so-called Dublin III agreement was central.
Hendrik Wüst calls for an 'alliance of the center' with regard to migration
Migration is a key topic at the Minister Presidents' Conference. North Rhine-Westphalia's head of government addresses demands to the federal government.
Federal Ministry of the Interior: 1,000 people turned back at border controls
Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area. However, irregular migration and security risks leave no other choice, says the Minister of the Interior. Now there are new figures.
Weil criticizes Union for premature election campaign mode on migration
At their conference in Leipzig, the minister presidents also discuss measures on migration. Lower Saxony's head of government sees obstacles to an agreement - and reproaches the CDU/CSU.
Union-led federal states call for stricter measures in migration policy
At the Conference of Minister Presidents, the CDU/CSU-led states are insisting on a tighter migration policy. The debate is about how the country could better restrict irregular migration.
Kretschmer: Asylum law must be adapted to the current situation
Michael Kretschmer wants to adapt the basic right to asylum to the current migration figures. Whether the heads of the federal states will support this will be decided at the meeting in Leipzig.
Security package of the traffic light coalition rejected: Saxony criticizes inadequacy
The coalition government wanted to grant the security authorities more powers to compare biometric data. However, the Bundesrat stopped the law for the time being - Saxony did not want to support it either.
Interior Minister urges rejections at the border
The Saxon Interior Minister is calling for further measures to limit unregulated migration. Many people should be stopped at the borders.
Federal police pull smugglers off the city bridge in Görlitz
Despite border controls, people try to enter Germany irregularly. They are often dependent on people smugglers. The Federal Police repeatedly pull smugglers out of circulation.
Asylum seekers work for 80 cents an hour in Stollberg
Asylum seekers in Saxony can be called upon to do community service. They are paid 80 cents per hour. In Stollberg, they now maintain green spaces. There is criticism from the Refugee Council.
Conference of Minister Presidents under Rhineland presidency: progress in migration policy
The heads of the federal states have been meeting regularly since 1954. Last year, Hesse saw itself as the "heart muscle of German federalism". Now another state is taking over the chairmanship.
Saxony wants to maintain its own border police force
Saxony is taking a leaf out of Bavaria's book and wants to set up its own border police force. However, the undertaking is not cheap. Ultimately, a new government will have to decide.
Exhibition about refugees in Saxony causes controversy in Pirna
An exhibition about refugees for Intercultural Week at the Pirna district office is being dismantled. The authority refers to complaints from citizens - now the vernissage is being held elsewhere.
Sterntaler Prize 2024 awarded for the "KOMMunity Kids" initiative in Dresden
Saxony honors civil society efforts to integrate young people with a migration background. The Sterntaler Prize is awarded by the Kinderschutzbund and the Free State of Saxony.
Wanted organizers of smuggling operations caught in Dresden
A couple is said to have made money for months by organizing smuggling operations to Germany. However, they were not actively involved in the tours.
Couple arrested in Dresden for suspected smuggling of over 87 people
A couple is said to have made money for months by organizing smuggling operations to Germany. However, they were not actively involved in the tours.
Illegal entries halved with border controls in Saxony
Stationary border controls are intended to help curb illegal migration. Saxony has had good experience with this - controls have been in place there for months.
East German politicians furious over failed migration talks
Childcare, energy transition, migration - local authorities have to deal with many tasks at the same time. East German city leaders are calling for more support - and criticizing the federal government.
Signs from Dresden - Hundreds at diversity banquet
Dresden is once again hosting a banquet of diversity and tolerance. In the tense social climate in the country, the city is once again sending out a renewed commitment to openness.
Migrants discovered in tightly packed truck in Czech Republic - woman dies
It is a shocking discovery. Police in the Czech Republic stop a truck with dozens of migrants in the back. For one woman, all help comes too late.
Refugee Council: Refugees face more hostility
Migration was a dominant topic in the state election campaign. The Refugee Council criticizes unfounded scaremongering.
Saxony's interior minister criticizes the federal government's security plans
How should Germany react appropriately to terrorist attacks or the illegal entry of migrants? The ideas in politics differ widely.
Scholz in Chemnitz: Deportations "clearest signal"
Actively taking action and careful planning: these are his principles, the Chancellor assures at an election campaign appearance in Chemnitz. When it comes to migration, Scholz calls for openness and clear rules.
Scholz: Deportation is a clear signal to criminals
Germany has deported 28 convicted criminals to Afghanistan. The Federal Chancellor sees this as a signal.
Deportation flight: Afghan offender from Saxony on board
Early in the morning, the plane takes off from Leipzig/Halle Airport bound for Afghanistan. A criminal from Saxony is also on board.
Germany deports Afghan offenders for the first time since August 2021
Among other things, criminals are deported to Afghanistan with the help of "regional key partners". The German government speaks of difficult framework conditions.
Deportation flight to Afghanistan departs from Leipzig/Halle
Deportation flight from Leipzig/Halle Airport to Afghanistan has taken off, confirms Saxony's Ministry of the Interior.
Saxon Refugee Council criticizes deportation of families
Ethically unacceptable: The Saxon Refugee Council has clearly criticized deportations of families. And makes a suggestion.
Integration Award - applications until Tuesday
Every year, Saxony honors special commitment to integration and social cohesion. The application deadline is only a few days away.
Democracy 2024: Foreigners should also vote by post in 2024
On September 1, 2024, important elections will be held in Saxony that will decide the future of the region and its diverse population. In addition to the state parliament elections, in which the citizens of Saxony will vote on the composition of the 8th Saxon state parliament, the election of the Dr ..
Decrease in unauthorized entries to Germany via the Belarus route
In spring, the number of people arriving in Germany via Belarus and Poland without permission and often without papers increased. In June, the number of arrivals fell again slightly.
Number of attacks on refugees and asylum seekers in Germany has fallen
Coercion, assault, incitement to hatred: time and again, asylum seekers are the target of attacks. According to provisional statistics, the numbers have recently fallen. Regional focuses are striking.
More than 500 attacks on refugees in the first half of the year
Coercion, assault, incitement to hatred: time and again, asylum seekers in Germany are the target of verbal or physical attacks. The regional focus is striking.
Debate on rising expenditure for asylum seeker benefits in Saxony
Migration remains an ongoing topic in Saxon politics and plays an important role in the election campaign. However, views on the right way to deal with it differ widely in some cases.
Fewer unauthorized entries to Saxony in the first half of the year
Since October, the federal police have stepped up checks at the borders to Poland and the Czech Republic. Figures are now available on the number of people who entered the country without authorization in the first half of the year.
Number of asylum seekers in Saxony halved - Refugee Council expresses concerns
The number of asylum seekers in Saxony fell by more than half in the first half of 2024. The Refugee Council expresses concerns about the reasons for the decline.
Fewer unauthorized entries in the first half of the year
Since October, the federal police have stepped up checks at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Nationwide figures are now available on people entering the country without authorization in the first half of the year.
Criticism of Minister President Kretschmer: Ex-Landrat Neubauer comments on resignation
Following his resignation as District Administrator of Central Saxony, Dirk Neubauer criticizes Minister President Michael Kretschmer. He criticizes a lack of open discussion and criticizes migration policy.
OVG ruling: City does not have to take Moroccans back
A Moroccan is deported despite a court order to the contrary. The Higher Administrative Court has now ruled that he does not have to be returned.
Fire set at planned asylum accommodation in Leipzig
A local resident alerts the police to a fire at a planned refugee shelter. A young man comes under suspicion due to traces left at the scene.
Greens demand clarification on the deportation of a Moroccan man
A man is deported despite a court order to the contrary. For the Greens, this is an affront. How could this happen?
Refugee Council again criticizes deportation of a man
Just at the beginning of the week, a planned deportation from Saxony caused protests. Now the Refugee Council is once again criticizing the authorities.
Rising number of deportations of rejected asylum seekers in Saxony
The number of deportations of rejected asylum seekers in Saxony continues to rise. This year, 487 people have already been deported, mainly from Tunisia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia and Turkey.
Commission deals with controversial deportation
The controversial deportation of a man from Saxony to Serbia has been halted for the time being. The Hardship Commission is now looking into the matter. It has submitted a request to the Minister of the Interior.
Schuster calls for a tough change of course by the federal government on asylum
Saxony's Interior Minister believes that the population's sense of security has declined. In the Bundestag, he makes demands of the traffic light government.
Refugee Council: Numerous complaints about payment card
Lack of use at markets and clubs, not enough cash for schoolchildren, lengthy approval of bank transfers - there are always problems with the payment card.
Immediate program for the deportation of serious criminals demanded
The Saxon Interior Minister is calling for an immediate program by the federal government to deport serious criminals and dangerous individuals to Afghanistan and Syria.
Belarus route: 2215 migrants made it to Germany
The numbers are rising, including at the EU's external border in Poland: The migration route is being used more again. But the comparison with the previous year is remarkable.
Shift to the right: Saxon Refugee Council hopes for donations
In light of the clear shift to the right in the European and local elections, the Refugee Council in Saxony wants to launch a fundraising campaign on World Refugee Day (June 20). The aim of the "100 plus x" campaign is to gain at least 100 new permanent donors by the state elections on September 1, ..
Saxony's Minister President calls for a solution to the refugee issue
Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer demands a solution to the refugee issue from the federal government and speaks out in favor of a 'breathing upper limit' for migration. He draws a positive balance of his government's work and warns against hate crime and extremism.
Saxony's Minister President calls for the deportation of delinquent migrants
Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer speaks out in favor of deporting migrants who commit crimes and calls for existing laws to be amended. Integration of refugees should be more targeted.
Saxony calls for special repatriation program for intensive offenders obliged to leave the country
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) is calling for a special repatriation program for offenders who are obliged to leave the country.
Alliance calls for sufficient school places for children from refugee families in Saxony
The "Right to School for All" alliance criticizes the lack of school places for children from refugee families in Saxon schools and points out the serious consequences.
Saxon Refugee Council calls for change in the accommodation of refugees
The Saxon Refugee Council is calling for an improvement in the accommodation situation and easier access to the labor market for refugees.
Independent voters warn of school system collapse
The Free Voters (FW) in Saxony believe that the integration of children and young people with foreign roots into the school system is no longer guaranteed and warn of a collapse. "The figures show alarming conditions. The number of preparatory classes for German as a second language has almost doubl ..
More unauthorized entries across the German-Polish border
Since spring, the Federal Police have been registering more unauthorized entries across the border in the east. The Ministry of the Interior believes that Moscow and Minsk are also responsible for this.
State parliament passes law on integration and participation
Saxony wants to make it easier for migrants to settle into their new home. On Thursday, the state parliament in Dresden passed an integration and participation law. Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) spoke of a milestone on the way to a society that values and promotes the diversity of its ..
More people deported from Saxony - State Directorate reports increase in the first quarter
In the first quarter, 277 people were deported from Saxony, an increase compared to the previous year. The main countries of destination were Georgia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey and Serbia.
Wagenknecht wants monitoring of refugee integration
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is calling for close monitoring of the integration of refugees. She expects Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and the other heads of the federal states to exert pressure in Berlin, Wagenknecht told the German Press Agency in Dresden on Monday. ..
Naturalization ceremony in the Dresden state parliament: 2548 people naturalized in Saxony
Last year, 2548 people were naturalized in Saxony, more than in the previous year. The naturalization ceremony in Dresden's state parliament honours their integration achievements.
Refugee Council concerned about Russians living in Dresden
The Saxon Refugee Council is concerned about the fate of a Russian living in Dresden. The brother of a dissident is threatened with deportation from the Free State, the association announced in Dresden on Thursday. A return to Russia seems just as impossible for him as a new life in Poland, where he ..
Debate on crime: Schuster wants more rejections
In a Bundestag debate on the police crime statistics for 2023, Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster called for more deportations at German borders. "We want to integrate sensibly", said the CDU politician on Wednesday in Berlin during a topical debate requested by the CDU/CSU. However, if too m ..
Saxony's Commissioner for Foreigners: Work and language are crucial for integration
Geert Mackenroth supports employment agency approach and Saxon integration law
Registration regulation for Ukrainian vehicles extended
Vehicles from Ukraine can still be used in Saxony with a domestic registration. A special rule to this effect has been extended.
AfD proposal on payment card: City boss lodges objection
Dresden's local parliament has decided on a municipal payment card for asylum seekers - at the request of the AfD. The mayor wants to reverse the decision.
Asylum seekers in Vogtlandkreis will receive payment cards instead of cash from April
Asylum seekers in the Vogtland district will receive payment cards instead of cash from April to prevent misuse. District office orders 800 cards.
Vogtlandkreis issues payment card for asylum seekers from April
From April, asylum seekers in the Vogtland district will receive a payment card instead of cash. As the district administration office in Plauen announced on Wednesday, this is intended to counter possible misuse and the outflow of money to the countries of origin. In future, each asylum seeker will ..