The chair of the Turkish community in Germany, Gökay Sofuoglu, has taken issue with the admission halt announced by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) for integration courses.
He told “Redaktionsnetzwerk Germany” that “a unilateral stop to language and integration courses undermines exactly the tools that enable people to participate in the labour market and in society”. “Language is participation – that is a strong, factual argument for such courses. That is why I consider the cuts wrong” he added. Sofuoglu further said that a forward‑looking policy is needed instead of destructive, short‑sighted budget freezes that dismantle the painstakingly built integration network.
On Monday the BAMF informed course providers that, for the time being, no participants would be accepted for whom the course is not mandatory. The restriction applies to asylum seekers in the application process, individuals with deferred action, EU migrants, and Ukrainian refugees. The office justified the limitation by citing the costs of running the courses.
