Roughly one-third of asylum applications in Europe for Germany
Last year the European Union's asylum agency registered a total of 1.14 million applications in the 27 EU member states as well as Norway and Switzerland, according to the annual report published in Valletta on Wednesday.
Germany remained by far the most important destination country, where 334,000 new applications were registered between January and December 2023, according to the data. The Federal Office in Nuremberg, on the other hand, reported about 329,000 applications for the year as a whole.
Either way, Germany accounted for almost a third of all applications - as much as in the next two countries, France (167,000) and Spain (162,000) combined. On a per capita basis, Germany had one applicant for every 252 German citizens and residents.
Most of the applicants came from the civil war country of Syria, followed by Afghanistan. Towards the end of the year, after the start of the new war in Gaza in October, more and more Palestinians sought refuge in Europe.
In the previous year, the total number of applications to Europe had remained just below the million mark at 996,000. On the other hand, significantly more were registered in 2015 (1.4 million) and 2016 (1.3 million).
READ ALSO: Germany to tougher asylum rules as migrant influx surges
Another Lufthansa ground staff strike announced
Verdi labour union called on Lufthansa's ground staff in Germany to stage a walkout from Wednesday to Friday, in the latest strike to hit the country in recent weeks.
According to statements made by the union, Lufthansa's pay offer in the most recent round of negotiations showed a "lack of compromise" and a deal was not reached.
Ground staff at Lufthansa's technical support and aviation training units would walked out at 6 am on Wednesday and will pick up work again one minute before Saturday, Verdi said.
Marvin Reschinsky, Verdi's lead negotiator, said in a statement that passengers "are not affected", because the strike doesn't involve front-line workers. But he warned they could join future actions.
"If Lufthansa's irresponsible behaviour continues, we regret that passengers will soon be affected by strikes again," said Reschinsky, adding, "Lufthansa has it in its hands to prevent this."
Verdi is seeking pay rises of 12.5 percent for the workers it represents, or a minimum of €500 more a month. Lufthansa's latest offer included a larger pay increase over an extended period but did not meet Verdi's demands. The next round of negotiations will take place on March 13th and 14th.
Scholz rejects Macron's suggestion that ground troops could be sent to Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's push for a possible deployment of ground troops from NATO countries to Ukraine.Â
At the Paris meeting of more than 20 heads of state to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia on Monday evening, it was agreed "that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European states or NATO countries," Scholz said on Tuesday.
The Federal Chancellor emphasised that this principle had once again been agreed "very unanimously". According to him, there should also be no participation of soldiers from afar in the course of the war.
These comments come just a day after the Chancellor had clearly stated that Germany would also not deliver Taurus missiles to Ukraine – a decision that sparked criticism from others in Germany’s coalition government.
READ ALSO: Germany's Scholz rejects talks of sending troops to Ukraine from Europe or NATO
Wanted RAF terrorist, Daniela Klette, was caught 30 years later
After more than 30 years of manhunt, the former RAF terrorist Daniela Klette has been caught in Berlin, prosecutors said on Tuesday.Â
The 65-year-old, who had been living in a Berlin apartment under a false identity, was part of a notorious fugitive trio from the RAF, which carried out bombings, kidnappings and killings in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s.
READ ALSO: 40 years after 'the German Autumn': who were the RAF terror group?
Daniela Klette is said to have lived in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, under the first name Claudia. A middle-aged neighbour suggested that Klette had lived there for 20 years, and had given private tutoring in mathematics to earn money.
Frigate "Hessen" shoots down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea
The frigate "Hessen", which is deployed in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships, has for the first time repelled an attack by the Houthi militia operating from Yemen. According to information from DPA, the ship involved in the EU military mission "Aspides" shot down two drones in quick succession on Tuesday evening.
It was the first live weapons deployment by the German Navy in the operation that began on Friday, which is considered the most dangerous naval mission in the history of the Bundeswehr.
The Iranian-allied Houthi militia wants to force an end to Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling merchant ships in the Red Sea.Â
The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important routes of world trade. Because of the attacks by the Houthis, who are heavily armed by Iran, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea connection between Asia and Europe - with significant effects on the global economy.
On Friday, the Bundestag approved Germany's participation in the EU's "Aspides" mission. The "Hessen" had previously set off from Wilhelmshaven in the direction of the area of operations with the aim of being able to begin fulfilling the mission immediately after the Bundestag decision.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had said that the mission would contribute to the stabilization of the region, but at the same time was "one of the most dangerous for the German Navy in decades."
READ ALSO: Germany's Scholz rejects talk of sending troops to Ukraine from Europe or NATO
With reporting by DPA
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