Skip next section World War II bombs lead to thousands of evacuations in Berlin
09/19/2025September 19, 2025
World War II bombs lead to thousands of evacuations in Berlin
Authorities in Berlin set about the work of dealing with a pair of unexploded World War II bombs on Friday, forcing people to evacuate their homes and close businesses in parts of the German capital.
A slime-and-silt-covered bomb found after decades in the Spree River initially led to around 10,000 evacuations, but authorities said after closer examination that it was not a danger and would not need to be diffused.
However, about 12,400 people have been evacuated in the Spandau district, where a second bomb is set to be defused on Friday, according to Berlin police.
https://p.dw.com/p/50inH
Skip next section Fewer refugees living in Germany for first time since 2011
09/19/2025September 19, 2025
Fewer refugees living in Germany for first time since 2011
The overall number of refugees in Germany has fallen for the first time in over 10 years, according to government statistics made public by the Left Party on Friday.
Germany’s declined by about 50,000 in the first half of 2025, from about 3.55 million at the end of 2024 to 3.50 million, a response to a parliamentary query from The Left party showed.
This marks the first drop in the total number of refugees living in Germany since 2011.
The total number includes recent arrivals and long-term residents as well as .
The decline reflects a combination of , voluntary departures and naturalizations, The Left party said.
Data from the Interior Ministry shows 83,150 Syrians were granted German citizenship, though not all of them were refugees.
Of the roughly 3.5 million refugees, some 492,000 currently hold uncertain status, including asylum-seekers whose claims are being processed and people with temporary permission to remain in Germany. At the end of July, 1.27 million refugees from Ukraine were living in Germany.
The Left party’s Clara Bünger called the decline adding that fewer people in need of protection were making it through the
https://p.dw.com/p/50ik7
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage09/19/2025September 19, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Guten Morgen from the DW newsroom in Bonn.
Political pundits in Germany on Friday will be addressing trip to Madrid, where he and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed they want to get a struggling European fighter jet off the ground.
But the two leaders disagreed on their countries’ respective and recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Thousands of people in Berlin were cleared out of their homes overnight while experts defuse an unexploded World War II bomb found in the Spree River.
Depending on the verdict in a rental disagreement case today, the far-right may spend the weekend looking for a new place for its party headquarters.
https://p.dw.com/p/50ifh
The post Germany updates: Fewer refugees living in Germany appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
