The Local Germany

Minister calls for 'poverty migrant' crackdown

Tue, 08 Oct 2013 18:41:00 +0200

Germany's interior minister said on Tuesday that Germany should be tougher on “poverty migrants", just days after hundreds of refugees were killed in an accident off the Italian coast.

Minister: German spying worries 'nonsense'

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:10:00 +0200

Germany's Interior Minister said on Monday that Germans should calm down and stop complaining about being spied on by the Americans, and that the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

Minister: At least 50 Germans fighting in Syria

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:07:00 +0200

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has said that he believes at least 50 German citizens are taking part in the Syrian civil war, and that they represent "ticking time bombs" if they return.

Friedrich wants hate preachers expelled

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:37:00 +0200

Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has called for the expulsion of Islamic religious leaders who preach hate and said Germany’s laws must be changed to accomplish that.

Minister: neo-Nazi violence up in 2012

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:50:00 +0100

The number of far-right violent attacks rose again last year, it emerged on Sunday. German ministers warned against downplaying the threat from neo-Nazis, yet would not support a ban on the far-right NPD party.

Minister calls for crackdown on extremism

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:55:00 +0100

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has called for a tougher crack-down on religious fanaticism and on those inciting violence.

Interior minister: We need populism

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:19:00 +0100

Facing election this year, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich seems to have gone off-piste over immigration, warning that populist measures are necessary to avoid the threat of fascism, comments Hannah Cleaver.

Blue Card work permit scheme attracts 4,000

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:10:00 +0100

Germany’s drive to recruit highly-qualified workers from abroad has awarded more than 4,000 "Blue Card" work permits since it was launched last August, business magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported.

Minister to EU: stem tide of Balkan asylum seekers

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:52:00 +0200

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich called for stricter rules for asylum seekers from Serbia and Macedonia on Thursday, and demanded that the European Union stem the current tide by increasing aid to Eastern Europe.

'Missing' posters prompt Muslim anger

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 19:31:00 +0200

Four Muslim groups have pulled out of an anti-extremism partnership with the government in protest at a poster campaign which they say puts all Muslims under general suspicion.

Olympic targets revealed – and missed by a mile

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:17:00 +0200

The German Interior Ministry has admitted that Germany has missed its medal targets for the Olympic Games in London by a long way, after finally releasing the sports federations' aims following an unseemly legal fight.

Minister completes security service shake up

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:20:00 +0200

New leaders for Germany’s federal police force and its domestic intelligence service were appointed to their respective authorities on Wednesday - after weeks of resignations, sackings and bad feeling.

Minister sacks entire federal police leadership

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 13:18:00 +0200

Germany’s interior minister is sacking the entire leadership of the federal police force, it emerged this weekend. Not only the head of the force will go next week, but also his two top deputies.

Political violence hit record levels last year

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:13:00 +0200

Political violence hit a record high in Germany last year with authorities registering more than 30,000 politically motivated crimes, according to figures released on Friday.

Ministry caught in Muslim study leak lie

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:44:00 +0200

Germany’s Interior Minister was forced to admit on Friday that his ministry had leaked a controversial study on young Muslims in the country to populist Bild newspaper – despite initial denials.

Friedrich rejects compensation for German forced laborers after WWII

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:07:00 +0200

Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich on Sunday rejected demands to compensate Germans who were forced to work in neighbouring countries after World War II.

Friedrich welcomes arming German cargo ships

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:55:00 +0200

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has welcomed the suggestion to put privately-hired armed guards on cargo vessels to stop pirate attacks.

Friedrich's call to identify bloggers meets broad resistance

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:48:00 +0200

German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich’s call to end anonymity for internet bloggers in the wake of the Norway massacre has been slammed by the opposition and even the conservatives’ coalition partners, the Free Democrats.

Interior Ministry to probe ban of far-right NPD

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:13:00 +0200

Discussions surrounding a possible ban of Germany's neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) have taken a major step forward after the Interior Ministry agreed to participate in a working group to look into the matter.

Friedrich warns of hidden far-right threat

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:31:00 +0200

In the wake of the Norwegian massacre, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has warned that Germany is also endangered by right-wing extremists who go undetected.