Tünews International - English

30/12/2025

Bundestag, courts and church on Afghans in Pakistan

In Pakistan, around 1,900 Afghan citizens are still waiting to enter Germany. Many of them once helped the German Armed Forces and other German institutions when Germany participated in the military mission to combat terrorism and build democracy in Afghanistan. The Federal Republic promised them in 2023 that they would be accepted in Germany.

On 3 December 2025, the German Bundestag rejected a motion by Alliance 90/The Greens to complete the pending proceedings or to grant entry visas to Germany to those waiting. 440 members of parliament voted by roll call, 130 of whom voted in favour of the Greens’ motion.

Administrative courts consider admission promises to be binding
In doing so, courts are increasing pressure on legislators. Several German administrative courts, most recently the Berlin Administrative Court on 7 July 2025, agreed that the Federal Republic of Germany must adhere to “admission notices part 1” that had already been issued, as the BAMF had done in the case heard on 24 October 2023.

In that case, entry into Germany in April 2025 had failed because Afghan authorities had recorded two different dates of birth for one person.

www.tuenews.de/en

27/12/2025

What is important when moving house

Moving house is more than just lugging boxes around. It is a logistical challenge that needs to be carefully planned. Important decisions need to be made months before the move: for example, terminating the tenancy agreement, hiring a removal company or organising helpers, applying for a no-parking zone and checking all contracts for electricity, internet, insurance or the gym and terminating them in good time if necessary.

Change your address
In the weeks before the move, you need to get boxes and pack them, label anything that can be dismantled and initiate all the necessary address changes—from authorities and banks to subscriptions. You also need to deregister your children from nursery or school.

Remember a door sign
On moving day, the electricity, water and gas meters in the old and new flats should be read. Another important step is to put up a door sign and set up mail forwarding with the post office so that no letters or parcels are lost.

Don’t forget to re-register
On the day of the move itself, there are additional tasks to complete: filling the van, cleaning the flat, drawing up the handover report and handing over the keys.

Immediately after the move, you will need to re-register with the residents’ registration office, the vehicle registration office and the tax office. If you work through these steps in a structured manner, you will minimise stress, avoid mistakes and get off to a successful start in your new home.

There are many detailed checklists for moving house on the internet. The Consumer Advice Centre provides an initial overview at:
Consumer Advice Centre – Moving Checklist

www.tuenews.de/en
-register

24/12/2025

Tübingen warns of fake parking tickets

Fake parking tickets were left on cars at the Tübingen fairground—with three errors: There was no indication of which authority had issued the ticket. The ticket had an incorrect internet address. Most importantly, the money for the fine was to be transferred to a non-German account.

In a press release, the Tübingen city administration asks people to be vigilant about parking tickets and under no circumstances to transfer money to a foreign account.

Anyone who finds a fake parking ticket on their windscreen should report it to the Tübingen police station by calling 07071 / 972-1400.

A letter reminds you of real “fines”
If you have doubts about the authenticity of a parking ticket, you can ignore it. If it is not fake, those affected will receive a letter in the post after about two weeks. This letter will state how much the fine costs. You can then transfer the money.

Read full story on www.tuenews.de/en

23/12/2025

Christmas is a very important religious festival for Christians. So that they can celebrate with their families and attend church services, all shops are closed on December 25 and 26. Shops are also closed on January 1, New Year’s Day, and January 6, Epiphany.

Christmas begins on December 24 with Christmas Eve. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Shops are allowed to be open until 2 p.m. at the latest on this day. However, as some close earlier, it is advisable to check in advance.

Everything is closed on December 25 and 26. On Boxing Day, however, bakeries, among others, are allowed to open for three hours.

Read the full article at www.tuenews.de/en: link in the bio .english

22/12/2025

Identification requirement in Germany

There is an identification requirement in Germany. Germans are required to have identification once they reach the age of 16.

However, this does not mean that you have to carry the document with you at all times.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, you must be able to identify yourself within a certain period of time if requested to do so by authorised authorities such as the police.

In Germany, this requires an identity card, a replacement document or a passport. Failure to comply with the regular identification requirement is considered an administrative offence and may be punished with a fine.

In response to an enquiry from tuenews INTERNATIONAL, the Federal Ministry of the Interior stated that minors under the age of 16 are not subject to the identification requirement in Germany.

“They cannot therefore be asked to present an identity document if they do not have one. Only when travelling to other countries must they carry their own identity document.”

www.tuenews.de/en

21/12/2025

New bus schedule in Tübingen

Since December 14, buses in Tübingen have been running according to a new schedule. Due to cost-cutting measures, TüBus is offering fewer connections in some cases, as reported by Tübingen’s public utility company. However, the service has also improved for some.

In addition, the bus platforms at the central bus station have been rearranged, There are improvements for the Feuerhägle school location: On line E, school transport now offers direct connections from Pfrondorf, Herrlesberg, Alte Weberei, Lustnau, Gartenstraße, and Hirschau.
Evening service starts at 7 p.m.

On the other hand, several bus lines are extending or shortening their routes. The reason for this is the municipal utility company’s cost-cutting program. In addition, evening service now begins at 7 p.m. There are also changes to the night buses.

Another new feature is that many buses at the central bus station (ZOB) now depart from different bus platforms. Departures have been reorganized to enable smoother bus service.

Read full stories on www.tuenews.de/en

17/12/2025

First study on the killing of women in Germany

The Institute of Criminology at the University of Tübingen and the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony e.V. have conducted the first comprehensive study on homicides of women in Germany (“Femicide in Germany”) and recently presented their findings. According to the study, the killing of partners in connection with separation or jealousy is by far the most common form of femicide in Germany.

Sexism, the structural discrimination of women, mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, and a tense socio-economic situation are often contributing factors in the killing of women and girls.

Experts from the fields of criminology, law, sociology and psychology were involved in the study. Their aim was to analyse the number and type of femicides, as well as possible shortcomings in police interventions prior to the killings and in criminal prosecution.

They examined all files from 197 cases of attempted or completed killings of women in 2017 in five federal states, including Baden-Württemberg, for which criminal proceedings had been concluded. Contrary to what has been reported in many media outlets, the number of killings of women in Germany has not increased in the past ten years, according to the researchers.

Very common: femicides in intimate relationships

In 108 cases, the killings took place in heterosexual intimate relationships. In a quarter of the cases, the motive for the crime was an actual or feared separation or infidelity on the part of the woman. “In most cases, it was therefore a matter of possessiveness or jealousy on the part of the perpetrators,” according to the authors of the study.

The crimes took place in all social classes, including a management consultant and a teacher. However, one or more of the following factors were identified in the majority of couples: low level of education, financial difficulties, mental illness, alcohol or drug addiction.

Read full story on www.tuenews.de/en

17/12/2025

15/12/2025

Refugees are at high risk of poverty

Work protects against poverty. That is one of the findings of a study on income distribution in Germany. Refugees and people without work are at a far higher than average risk of poverty, and this risk has risen significantly. Almost two-thirds of refugees are at risk of poverty. That is another finding of a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin.
On the one hand, inequality in gross hourly wages has declined. The DIW attributes this primarily to “positive developments at the lower end of the wage distribution”. Various reforms in the labour market, such as the introduction of the minimum wage, “seem to be having an effect”, according to DIW researcher Markus Grabka.
Inequality remains

On the other hand, household disposable income has not improved. In fact, inequality has been increasing since 1995. It has been stagnating since 2020. One reason for the inequality is the rising number of part-time workers, who often earn lower wages. Another is that some employees receive special payments in addition to their income. These payments are higher the more the employees earn.
Work protects against poverty

The risk of poverty has increased significantly, especially among the unemployed and refugees. The rate rose to just under 64 per cent among refugees in 2020. However, the poverty risk rate among refugees has been falling slightly since then—which Grabka considers “good news”. The economist explains that this development is likely due to increasing integration into the labour market. The poverty risk rate for households in which no one is employed has also risen sharply. It is clear that “work protects against poverty”. The researcher therefore calls for “greater promotion of the integration of certain groups into the labour market”.

Read more on www.tuenews.de/en

15/12/2025

An app exposes fake shops on the internet

Fake shops on the internet are difficult to spot. Fraudsters are making them increasingly professional. An app from the consumer advice centre helps to expose fake shops.
The app, which is updated monthly, is easy to use. To find out whether an online shop is legitimate, simply enter its internet address (URL).

The finder then checks this web address. The result is displayed after a short time.
Green means the shop is on the whitelist
It’s a bit like a traffic light. If the green dot appears, the shop has not attracted any negative attention so far and is on a so-called “whitelist”. A brief overview also tells users the criteria used by the consumer advice centre to arrive at its assessment.

Yellow and red warn of caution
A yellow or even a red dot are warning or stop signals. If the dot is yellow, customers should check the shop again themselves and, for example, not pay in advance. If the dot is red, the online shop may be a fake.

The aim of the consumer advice centre is to enable everyone to use the results of the fake shop finder to assess for themselves whether they should refrain from placing an order with the shop they are looking for.

Read full story on www.tuenews.de/en

11/12/2025

Passport photos now only digital

Since 1 May 2025, authorities have only accepted photos created and transmitted digitally for identity documents.

A normal passport photo on paper is no longer sufficient. Chemists, photographers, photo shops and others who take the photos transmit them directly to the relevant authority via a secure electronic connection.

Anyone who has their photo taken will only receive a QR code in the shop, which they can then present to the citizens’ office or ID authority, for example.

The authorities will then retrieve the photos electronically.
Protection against forgeries
The basis for this is the “Act to Strengthen Security in Passport, ID Card and Foreigners’ Documents” of 3 December 2020.

The idea behind this is to prevent images for identity documents from being manipulated, for example through morphing (transformation). This computer-assisted process merges the facial features of different people into one photo.

Clarify costs in advance
Biometric images for identity documents (passports, identity cards or electronic residence permits) can sometimes be taken at the relevant authorities or administrative offices. Many people also have their photos taken at drugstores, photo shops or by photographers, provided they can guarantee secure transmission. It is worth comparing prices.

Read full story on www.tuenews.de/en

11/12/2025

Caught: When the police call parents

When the police take a young person to the station, in some cases they must inform the parents immediately. In others, this is not mandatory. Martin Raff, spokesperson for the Reutlingen Police Headquarters, explains what this depends on.

According to Raff, the rules are very clear when a young person under the age of 18 is arrested or taken into custody. If possible criminal offenses are involved, the police must inform the legal guardians. Parents are also notified in the case of children.

However, there are exceptions: for example, if drugs are involved and the police fear that evidence could be destroyed. Or if young people and especially children are at risk of violence at home.

“In all other cases, we examine the individual case,” says Raff. Often these are young people who have been caught without a ticket on a bus or train. If he or she does not have any ID with them, ticket inspectors call the police and they are taken to the station to establish their identity. The officers on site decide whether to inform the parents. A 15-year-old will not simply be sent home at 8 p.m., says Raff. A 17-year-old who will turn 18 next month, however, probably will.

And what if young people become very quiet at the police station and want to call their parents? “Then they are allowed to,” says Raff.

www.tuenews.de/en
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