European immigration news

The Immigrant Times reporting from Europe

> Anti-immigrant party defeated in Germany

> Teaching Islam in German schools

> Surge in refugees arriving on Crete

> Asylum applications in EU down by 23%

Women mayors performed strongly in Bielefeld (Christiana Bauer, CDU), Gelsenkirchen (Andrea Henze, SPD) and Wuppertal (Miriam Scherff, SPD). Still, in Cologne, a man will take over from Henrietta Reker, who has been mayor of the city for the last ten years.

GERMANY / NRW

Anti-immigrant, far-right party defeated in Germany’s most populous state

29 September 2025: In a striking affirmation of democratic resilience, voters across North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state, denied the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party control of any mayoral office in Sunday’s (28 September 2025) local elections, even as the party reached runoffs in three cities for the first time.

The results mark a critical moment for Germany’s urban electorate, where mainstream, centrist parties, particularly the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD), held firm against rising populist rhetoric. The CDU captured Dortmund, ending nearly eight decades of Social Democratic leadership, while the SPD won in key cities including Cologne and Gelsenkirchen. The Greens held Münster.

AfD candidates were defeated in all three runoff contests, in Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg and Hagen, despite a surge in support that nearly tripled their 2020 vote share. The AfD achieved its best result in Gelsenkirchen, where its candidate was supported by 33 per cent of voters. In Hagen the party received 28 per cent, while in Duisburg, its share of the vote stood at 21 per cent.

Analysts say the party’s failure to secure executive mandates reflects a broader public resistance to far-right governance, especially in cities shaped by migration, diversity, and integration efforts.

“This wasn’t just a vote for parties, it was a vote for pluralism,” said Dr Leyla Mertens, a migration policy researcher based in Bonn. “Urban voters sent a clear message: they want leadership that reflects social cohesion, not division.”

The elections also saw increased turnout, suggesting that debates around migration, housing, and local governance are mobilising voters across generational and cultural lines. For many communities, the results reaffirm a commitment to inclusive politics, even as national discourse grows more polarised.

Mayoral results from NRW’s largest cities

Köln (Cologne):

Torsten Burmester (SPD) was elected mayor with 53,5% of the vote.

Düsseldorf:

Stephan Keller (CDU) was elected mayor with 60.8% of the vote.

Dortmund:

Alexander Omar Kalouti (CDU) was elected mayor with 52.9% of the vote.

Essen:

Thomas Kufen (CDU) was elected mayor with 57.1% of the vote.

Duisburg:

Sören Link (SPD) was elected mayor with 78.6% of the vote.

Wuppertal:

Miriam Scherff (SPD) was elected mayor with 74.6% of the vote.

Bochum:

Jörg Lukat (SPD/Grüne) was elected mayor with 64.7% of the vote.

Bielefeld:

Christiana Bauer (CDU) was elected mayor with 51.4% of the vote.

Bonn:

Guido Déus (CDU) was elected mayor with 54.0% of the vote.

Münster:

Tilman Fuchs (Greens) was elected mayor with 57.9% of the vote.

Gelsenkirchen:

Andrea Henze (SPD) was elected mayor with 66.9% of the vote.

Aachen:

Tim Grüttemeier (CDU) was elected mayor with 62.5% of the vote.

Hagen:

Dennis Rehbein (CDU) was elected mayor with 71.7% of the vote..

Leverkusen:

Stefan Hebbel (CDU) was elected mayor with 56.6% of the vote.

Instagram || TikTok || X (Twitter) || Thread || Facebook || BlueSky || Mastodon

GERMANY

Former President says Christianity, Judaism and Islam belong to Germany

September 2025: Christian Wulff, who served as German President from 2010 to 2012, called in a recent interview for German society to utilise the positive qualities of Muslims. He also stated that migration was not the primary cause of Germany’s numerous challenges. “Migration is not the central issue, but that is the impression being given – and as a citizen, I suffer as a result,” he said.

The former President noted that in Germany, too many older people were leaving the labour market and too few younger people were coming in to replace them. “At the same time, Wulff criticised unequal treatment in the labour market. “Applicants with German names have a better chance of being invited to a job interview than applicants with Turkish names, even if they have the same qualifications. We must overcome this kind of covert structural racism,” demanded the former Federal President.

In a speech on the 20th anniversary of German reunification in 2010, Christian Wulff, as Head of State, said: “Christianity undoubtedly belongs to Germany. Judaism undoubtedly belongs to Germany. That is our Christian-Jewish history. But Islam now also belongs to Germany.” Some 15 years later, he now advocates Islamic instruction in German schools. “If we have millions of German Muslims, then Islamic religious instruction must take place in schools.”

He sees this as an opportunity to reduce the influence of foreign-funded imams on the German Muslim community, primarily by training them in Germany. “Muslims are peace-loving, charitable, compassionate, and committed to helping the weak – that is what is preached there. Germany should make use of these qualities.” Wulff added that if

Wulff warned that if we keep telling our Muslim fellow citizens that they don’t belong in the country, we shouldn't be surprised when they retreat into a parallel society.

Sources: The interview with Christian Wulff was conducted online by 'Jung in der Gesellschaft' and reviewed by Die Welt newspaper.

Instagram || TikTok || X (Twitter) || Thread || Facebook || BlueSky || Mastodon

NETHERLANDS

Violence erupts at an anti-immigration protest in The Hague, as election tensions rise

September 2025: A mass protest against immigration policy turned violent in The Hague, Netherlands, yesterday (20 September 2025), underscoring the deepening polarisation in Dutch society ahead of next month’s national elections. Right-wing extremist demonstrators clashed with police and attacked an office of the left-liberal D66 party. Protesters hurled objects at the police and set fire to a police van. The authorities responded with tear gas and water cannons, dispersing the crowd after several hours of unrest.

Organised by the far-right group Nederland Vooruit (Netherlands Forward), the demonstration drew over 3,000 participants to the city’s central square.

According to the broadcaster NOS, some demonstrators waved orange, white and blue so-called prince flags, which once served as a symbol of the National Socialist Movement (NSB) in the Netherlands and are now used by right-wing extremists.

The Hague’s mayor, Jan van der Laan, condemned the violence, stating, “Peaceful protest is a democratic right. What we saw yesterday (20 September) was not a protest, it was intimidation.” No fatalities were reported, but at least 17 people were arrested, and several officers sustained minor injuries.

Right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders also condemned the attacks on police officers and called for rioters to be dealt with ‘toughly’. According to ANP, he said: “Blocking motorways and using violence against the police is completely unacceptable. Idiots.” Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) have long been calling for the ‘strictest asylum law ever’ for the Netherlands.

The PVV joined a coalition government for the first time last year in order to achieve this goal. However, the coalition collapsed in June due to a dispute over stricter asylum laws. New elections are scheduled for the end of October 2025.

The protest comes amid rising anti-immigration rhetoric from several political parties, including the Freedom Alliance and the Dutch Sovereignty Bloc, both of which have surged in recent polls. Their platforms call for stricter asylum controls and reduced refugee intake, citing pressure on housing and public services.

But migrant advocates warn that such narratives are fuelling hostility and fear. “This isn’t just about policy—it’s about the safety and dignity of real people,” said Amina El-Karim, director of the Dutch Refugee Solidarity Network. “We’ve seen a rise in verbal and physical attacks on asylum seekers in recent months. Yesterday’s violence is part of that pattern.”

Local residents expressed mixed reactions. Some voiced support for tighter immigration controls, while others were shaken by the aggression. “I understand people are frustrated,” said Fatima Rahmani, a teacher whose family immigrated from Morocco in the 1990s. “But burning police vans doesn’t solve anything. It just makes us all feel less safe.”

Instagram || TikTok || X (Twitter) || Thread || Facebook || BlueSky || Mastodon |

GREECE

Local authorities on Crete cannot cope with this year’s surge in refugees

September 2025: Crete, Greece’s largest island and a major tourist destination, is facing a dramatic surge in refugee and migrant arrivals, with over 7,000 people landing between January and late June 2025, marking a threefold increase compared to 2024. The influx has been driven by a shift in smuggling routes from Turkey to Libya’s eastern coast, where traffickers operate under the influence of Libyan warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who uses migrants as political pawns.

The Greek government, led by Migration Minister Thanos Plevris, has responded with a hardline stance, calling the situation an ‘invasion’ and declaring a state of emergency. In July, Greece suspended asylum applications for three months, threatening detention or deportation for all new arrivals, regardless of origin. This move has sparked fierce backlash from human rights groups and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), raising concerns about violations of international law and the principle of not forcibly returning refugees.

Locally, tensions are also rising. Residents near Heraklion padlocked the gates of a former military base to protest its conversion into a refugee camp. Informal reception centres, such as abandoned warehouses and exhibition halls, are overcrowded and unsanitary, with migrants describing conditions as hell.

According to local authorities, conditions in the overcrowded camp in Agia near Chania, which was originally intended only for short stays, are unacceptable: mattresses on the floor, inadequate sanitary facilities, lack of air conditioning and the spread of skin diseases characterise the situation, complains the coast guard officers' union. The mood among the migrants is said to be increasingly tense.

Despite increased naval patrols and cooperation with Libyan authorities, the crisis continues to strain Greece’s asylum system, challenge EU migration policy, and threaten Crete’s tourism economy.

Three common countries of origin of refugees arriving in Greece by sea between January and the end of July 2025

From Afghanistan: 6,100 (26%)

From Egypt: 5,800 (25%)

From Sudan: 4,000 (17%)

Source: UNHCR

POLAND

Helping migrants is not a crime: Five Polish activists acquitted in aid case

September 2025: A Polish court has found five activists accused of helping a group of undocumented migrants not guilty. Dubbed the ‘Hajnowka Five’, the group were prosecuted for assisting an Iraqi-Kurdish family and an Egyptian man in March 2022. The migrants had endured repeated pushbacks and days in sub-zero temperatures in the Białowieża forest, a militarised zone where access is restricted and humanitarian aid is often obstructed. During the winter of 2021/22, tens of thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, were stranded in no-man’s land between Belarus and Poland.

The activists provided food, warm clothing, and transportation to safety. Prosecutors argued this constituted ‘facilitating illegal stay’, seeking prison sentences of up to 16 months.

But the District Court in Hajnówka, relocated to Białystok due to public interest, disagreed. The judge ruled that the aid was not criminal, but necessary to protect life and dignity.

Ewa Moroz-Kaczyńska, one of the acquitted, told reporters: “We didn’t ask to become refugee activists. We had no choice. The state abandoned these people, and we stepped in.”

The ruling was welcomed as a great victory for justice by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR), which said “it shows that, contrary to politicians’ narratives, humanitarian aid is and will remain legal”.

The judgement was also welcomed by some left-wing parliamentarians from Poland’s ruling coalition, who called it a “just verdict, serving as a counterbalance to the unjust and inhumane conduct of the Polish state”. However, members of the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party claimed that the court’s decision was a further example of how “in Poland, judges only defend foreigners” and “consent to actions aimed against the country’s security”.

The trial of the Hajnowka Five was the first of its kind in Poland and received a blaze of media attention. It was not the only attempt to criminalise humanitarian aid at the Belarusian border: Since 2021, authorities have repeatedly detained aid workers, only to drop the charges due to lack of evidence.

Another trial is being held at the regional court in Bialystok. In October 2024, refugee aid worker Bartosz J. had helped a seriously injured Somali student submit an asylum application to the border guards after crossing the border irregularly. When the border guards nevertheless tried to forcibly return the young man, Bartosz J. wanted to prevent them from doing so. The public prosecutor's office accuses him of obstructing the border guards in their work and threatening them with violence and coercion.

EUROPEAN UNION

Asylum applications in Europe fell by a quarter. Most asylum seekers came from Venezuela

September 2025: Asylum applications in the European Union (EU) fell by 23 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. This is according to a report by the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA).

According to the report, 399,000 asylum applications were received by EU countries, Switzerland and Norway by the end of June. According to the report, the drastic decline is less attributable to ‘political changes in the EU,’ according to the EUAA. Rather, it is a direct consequence of the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

For ten years, Syrians constituted the largest group among asylum seekers. Within a few months, their number fell by two-thirds to 25,000, according to the report. Most new arrivals came from Venezuela (49,000), followed by Afghanistan (42,000) and Syria. Only one in four applications was approved. By the end of June, no decisions had yet been made on more than 900,000 applications in the first instance.

For the first time, Germany was no longer the main destination for asylum seekers. France received the most applications during the period in question, with around 77,000, just ahead of Spain and Germany (70,000). Except France, the numbers declined in all of the major destination countries: most significantly in Germany (down 43 per cent), but also in Italy (down 25 per cent) and Spain (down 13 per cent).

By 2024, the number of asylum applications in Europe had already fallen by around 12 per cent, although in 2023 it had still risen compared to the previous year.

Around 4.3 million Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion also enjoy temporary protection in the EU. This is a measure separate from the asylum procedure.

Sources: European Union’s Asylum Agency (EUAA); Tagesschau

UNITED KINGDOM

The British media is accused of inaccurate reporting of immigration cases involving the ECHR

September 2025: A report* published in September 2025 claims that the British media industry is sloppy in its reporting of immigration cases involving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The report’s authors systematically reviewed media reports that mentioned the ECHR between 1 January and 30 June 2025, analysing 379 news stories and opinion pieces. Around 75 per cent of these media reports focused on the ECHR’s role in immigration control, particularly appeals by foreign national offenders against deportation orders.

The report finds that immigration tribunal cases are frequently misreported. It highlights several high-profile examples of misleading coverage, including the so-called ‘chicken nuggets’ case – widely reported as the prevention of an individual’s deportation based on his child’s dislike of foreign food, despite the decision not being based on this detail and having already been overturned. These misrepresentations, the authors argue, risk eroding public confidence in the legal system and are fuelling calls to leave the ECHR based on misleading portrayals of the role and operation of the ECHR in the UK.

Professor Alice Donald, one of the report’s authors, explained: “Our findings show that much of the public discussion about the ECHR and immigration is not grounded in accurate reporting. For a debate of such importance, arguments must be based on evidence and a correct understanding of the law. Without this, public trust in the rule of law is placed at risk.”

The report also demonstrates that judgments by the European Court of Human Rights against the UK are very rare, and that the Court has only rarely held that the UK government has violated human rights in its immigration-related decisions and policies. Since 1980, the European Court of Human Rights has found against the UK in only 13 removal cases, and just four of those concerned family life. In relation to immigration rules more broadly, the Court has only three times ruled that the UK’s immigration rules violate the ECHR in the past 45 years. Suggestions that the European Court of Human Rights ‘hinders’ the UK’s efforts to control immigration, the authors note, do not stand up to scrutiny.

The report warns: “Politicians, journalists and commentators may legitimately hold different views on immigration and human rights. But mischaracterising how the law operates does a disservice to the public. Evidence should be the foundation of any debate, whatever view one takes on the policy questions. This report is intended as a resource to support informed and balanced discussion.”

* The report, The European Convention on Human Rights and Immigration Control in the UK: Informing the Public Debate, was published by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights based in Oxford University’s Faculty of Law.

GERMANY

International students in Germany want to remain after graduation, but discrimination is a worry

By The Immigrant Times’ Education Editor

September 2025: International students who choose to study in Germany are generally satisfied with their decision, and the majority wish to remain in the country after graduation. According to research carried out by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)*, Three-quarters of the international students surveyed also stated that Germany was their first choice for studying and reported being very satisfied with their studies. However, a number also reported experiencing discrimination in everyday life.

The reasons for choosing German universities are Germany's technological leadership in many areas, English-language degree programmes, attractive career prospects and low tuition and living costs compared to other countries. Four factors are decisive when choosing a university: course content, English-language courses, the university's reputation, and low or no tuition fees. About half the students surveyed are aiming for a long-term professional career in Germany, and many are even considering starting their own business.

On campus, 75 per cent of international students feel welcome or very welcome, while only two per cent do not feel welcome at all. In everyday life, however, many report problems – especially when it comes to finding accommodation, dealing with bureaucracy and interacting with fellow German students.

Around half of the students who contributed to the research reported occasional incidents of discrimination, with 13 per cent reporting frequent experiences. Students from Africa, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region are particularly affected.

The study’s authors say that the excellence of German universities is a great opportunity to attract urgently needed talent from all over the world to Germany in the long term. "At the same time, reports of discrimination must serve as a warning to us. Cosmopolitanism and tolerance are essential prerequisites if we want to convince outstanding young people to work for us as doctors, engineers or AI experts. We are all called upon to stand up against xenophobia and discrimination."

Some figures

Percentage of international students at leading German universities

Technical University of Munich: 43% of 34,200 students

Heidelberg University: 21% of 19,600 students

Humboldt University Berlin: 18% of 35,000 students

University of Bonn: 15% of 25,000 students

Aachen University: 31% of 29,000 students

University of Göttingen: 14% of 22,000 students

University of Freiburg: 18% of 20,200 students

Technical University of Berlin: 28% of 20,000 students

*The DAAD surveyed a total of 115,652 students at 132 higher education institutions in the 2023/24 winter semester – including 94,764 with German university entrance qualifications and 20,888 international students. The DAAD is the world’s largest funding organisation for the international exchange of students and researchers. Since it was founded in 1925, around 3 million scholars in Germany and abroad have received DAAD funding.

UNITED KINGDOM

British government targets international students who ‘exploit’ current visa system

By The Immigrant Times' Education Editor

September 2025: Under pressure from the right-wing Reform UK party and anti-immigrant media, the British Labour government has unveiled a series of policies aimed at tightening the rules around international students and asylum claims. Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Yvette Cooper has argued that the present system is being exploited by individuals who claim financial stability upon arrival, only to seek asylum later.

The British government’s new approach targets what it describes as “abuses of the visa system,” particularly focusing on students who apply for asylum after their study visas expire. According to Home Office data, over 16,000 asylum claims in 2024 were made by individuals who initially entered the UK on student visas. Government figures also show that around 13 per cent of asylum applications in the UK in the year to June 2025, around 14,800, came from people who arrived on a study visa.

Key measures

• Direct messaging campaign: More than 130,000 foreign students are being contacted via text and email, warning them of deportation if they overstay or submit “meritless” asylum claims.

• Stricter screening: Visa interviews have become more rigorous, with refusal rates for short-term study visas rising from 45 per cent to 68 per cent.

• University accountability: Institutions may face penalties if fewer than 95 per cent of international students begin their courses or fewer than 90 per cent complete them. Those with high visa rejection rates could lose their ability to sponsor study visas altogether.

While Britain’s governing Labour Party insists that the measures are a long-planned move aligned with its manifesto pledge to cut net migration, critics within and outside the party see it as a reactive shift to reclaim right-leaning voters. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Labour of “pandering” to divisive rhetoric.

The crackdown could have serious implications for UK universities, which rely heavily on international tuition fees—contributing over £12 billion in revenue in 2023–24. With 4 in 10 institutions facing deficits, reduced student recruitment could exacerbate financial strain.

Facts & figures

In 2023/24 there were 732,285 international students studying at UK higher education providers, or 23 per cent of the total student population. 75,490 of these students were from the EU and 656,795 from outside the EU. The total was down four per cent from the 2022/23 record high. This was the first fall since 2012/13, but the 2023/24 figure was still the second-highest ever number of international students.