The Local Germany

‘Reality check’: Police union head criticizes uni after string of sexual assaults

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 11:31:11 +0100

Goethe University cancelled a speech by police union head Rainer Wendt last year after students accused him of supporting racial profiling. After a string of sexual assaults against students, Wendt says his stance has been vindicated.

'Abuse of power': black travellers describe their ordeals with German customs

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 16:13:26 +0100

While February kicks off Black History Month in Germany and abroad, two British citizens tell The Local about their experience of racial profiling by German customs officials.

UN experts: In Germany there are 'no-go' areas for black people

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:36:49 +0100

When 'no-go' areas are mentioned in Germany, it is usually in connection with foreign mafia families. But a UN fact-finding team have warned there are areas black men fear to enter.

Police under fire for telling refugees to stay away from Carnival

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:40:40 +0100

Law enforcement in North Rhine-Westphalia have come in for strong criticism after they sent a letter to refugee homes, telling them to keep refugees away from Karneval celebrations.

Most Germans don't think racial profiling is a problem: poll

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 17:46:33 +0100

A YouGov poll released on Thursday found that the majority of Germans said racial profiling was not problematic, amid criticism of police checks on New Year's Eve in Cologne.

Cologne police now say fewer North Africans ID'd on New Year's Eve

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:06:18 +0100

Cologne police set off a storm of controversy when they tweeted that hundreds of "Nafris" - North Africans - were stopped during New Year's Eve celebrations. But a new report paints a different picture.

'I'm an American and I was racially profiled in Berlin 23 times'

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 17:53:10 +0100

American journalist Sandhya Kambhampati was stopped by police 23 times within her first nine months of living in Berlin. Now she's investigating racial profiling in Germany - and is looking for others to share experiences.

'Germany must face up to racist institutions'

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 18:27:00 +0200

Can a democratic state be racist? Of course, says Der Tagesspiegel's Andrea Darnbach - who argues that a nation with a past like Germany's must face up to the latent racism lying at the heart of German officialdom.

Report: Racial profiling should be banned

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:46:00 +0200

Pressure is mounting on Germany to ban racial profiling for police checks. A report by the German Institute for Human Rights concluded a change in policy was "urgently required."

Police: sorry for racial profiling on ID checks

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:19:00 +0100

The German police have apologised for targeting a black German for spot ID checks on the basis of his skin colour – after a judge said it was illegal to do so, contradicting an earlier court ruling.

Justice Minister rejects passenger profiling

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:50:00 +0100

Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has roundly slapped down a call by Germany’s airports for passengers to be profiled for security checks, warning such discrimination would contravene EU and German laws.

Airports demand racial profiling to fight terror

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 12:34:00 +0100

The incoming head of Germany’s main airport lobby group is demanding the nation’s transit authorities use racial profiling to weed out terrorists at security checks.