About: Thomas de Maizière Archives

Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán suffered a blow yesterday (4 October) in his revolt against the European Union after low voter turnout voided his referendum aimed at rejecting a contested migrant quota plan.

Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová is continuing with her ambitious plans to set up a European Public Prosecutor Office by 2019. But the member states still have doubts about handing over control to a centralised EU agency. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Germany's interior minister wants to start sending refugees back to Greece next year, but Athens has already given the plan short shrift. EURACTIV's partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Germany on Wednesday (24 August) urged its population to stockpile food and water in case of terrorist or cyber attacks, as it adopted its first civil defence strategy since the end of the Cold War.

Seven people with links to terrorist networks, at least three of whom were planning attacks, have been arrested in France this month, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Tuesday (23 August).

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière yesterday (17 August) defended a leaked government report alleging Turkey was a hub for Islamist groups, a charge that has further strained tensions with Ankara, a key partner in efforts to stem mass migration.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière will not support a ban of full body veils for women as part of a multi-pronged security strategy that he presented today (11 August) in Berlin.

More than half of Afghan asylum-seekers have their applications rejected by German authorities and are returned to the Middle-Eastern country. EURACTIV's partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

What is needed in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism? Representatives from numerous countries have been debating that very issue for two days at the OSCE conference in Berlin, but divergent approaches emerged from the talks. EURACTIV Germany reports.

New job opportunities, more integration courses and new rules on housing: Germany’s new integration law is on its way towards final approval, but is not without its critics and shortcomings. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Critics have denounced Germany's intention to put Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on a list of safe countries of origin in an attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers coming from those countries. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Timothy Kirkhope, the British MEP shepherding the controversial passenger name records (PNR) bill through the European Parliament, has named security one of the main reasons for the UK to remain in the EU.

Europe has widely denounced the attacks carried out in Brussels yesterday (22 March). EURACTIV Germany reports on Berlin's reaction to the terrorist bombings.

Uncertainty is rife among refugees on Greek soil as no one has told them what will happen next or how to proceed. Germany's interior minister has offered help to Athens, but downplayed the seriousness of their situation. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party suffered a major setback in key state polls yesterday (13 March) over her liberal refugee policy, while the right-wing populist AfD recorded a surge as it scooped up support from angry voters.

Thousands of refugees were left stranded in Greece yesterday (22 February) after Macedonia abruptly closed it border to Afghans, creating a fresh bottleneck as European countries scramble to respond to the continent's worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Berlin remains divided over the new asylum package for refugees, with the issue of family reunification continuing to split opinion. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party's Vice-Chairwoman, Julia Klöckner, has called for border centres, and a daily cap on refugee numbers. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

The German police union (GdP) has warned against putting excessive pressure on the Bundespolizei by extending border controls, calling into question whether an indefinite extension of increased checks is feasible. EURACTIV Germany reports.

As the refugee crisis continues, Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière wants to extend border controls through February and beyond. However, the move could cost the country €10 billion a year. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Asylum seekers are due to be issued identification cards from the middle of February in Germany. Personal data will be collected and stored centrally, with the intention of improving the asylum process - although the document could prove to be a bureaucratic nightmare. EURACTIV's partner Tagesspiegel reports. 

According to German media, the goverment has warned that attacks such as those carried out in Paris could happen in Germany. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Berlin has found no evidence to suggest that the Istanbul bombing targeted Germans. Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière will visit the site today (13 January) to see the situation first-hand. EURACTIV Germany reports.

After the attacks carried out on women in Cologne on New Year's Eve, the German government wants to act quickly and tighten the asylum law. Meanwhile, verbal and physical violence against migrants has escalated. EURACTIV Germany reports.