Thomas de Maizière

With Bulgaria taking its turn in the rotating presidency, Sofia hosted the first informal meeting of EU interior ministers to launch talks on one of the most contentious issues within the bloc - the overhaul of Europe's system for granting asylum, New Europe reported.

The Danish government has extended control of the southern border with Germany until May 12th next year, citing migration as a key concern, The Local writes. 

Temporary controls were implemented on the border in January 2016 and have remained in place since.

Germany is the final destination for many migrants and refugees from the Middle East; the message to these "new Germans" is to integrate as soon as possible.

Germany's largest association of mosques needs to undertake fundamental reforms to ensure its independence from Turkey after reports that its clerics spied on people in Germany, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said on March 14.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Feb. 3 ruled out the Turkish government's demand to not evaluate the asylum application of 40 Turkish NATO soldiers suspected of being members of the Gülen network, believed to have orchestrated the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt. 

EU Interior Ministers are discussing plans for the financing of refugee centres in Africa at a meeting in Malta.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other organisations will be able to admit the migrants, while the EU will determine whether they have the right to asylum in Europe, explained German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière before the meeting on Thursday.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere confirmed Dec. 21 that authorities have identified a new suspect in the deadly truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, one day after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 12 people.

German police have reported that 24 of the people who were injured in the attack on the Christmas bazaar in Berlin on Monday night have been discharged from the hospital.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Affairs minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Minister of Interior Thomas de Maiziere visited Monday’s attack site at noon today and left one white flower in memory of the victims. The German Chancellor was dressed in black and couldn’t hide her sorrow.

German authorities say they were unaware that an Afghan migrant accused of the recent rape and murder of a female medical student in Germany had been convicted of attempted murder in Greece after violating parole there.