The German City Association sharply criticized the federal government’s cuts to integration courses. Chairman and CEO Christian Schuchardt said that restricting access to language lessons is “no good signal” for the country, as reported in the weekend editions of the Funke Media Group newspapers.
In Germany, voluntary participants in integration courses make up roughly half of all trainees. Schuchardt warned that if these volunteers drop out, many of the courses will no longer be able to reach the minimum number of participants required by law. Integration courses are aimed at people who either have no German knowledge at all or very limited skills.
It has recently emerged that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has stopped issuing eligibility certificates for voluntary participation in the courses since the end of November. The Interior Ministry claims that it will give priority to refugees who have a permanent residency prospect, a move that also reflects budget‑cut measures. According to the ministry, a single course can cost several thousand euros per participant.
The City Association pointed out that the German language proficiency and orientation knowledge taught in these courses are “the key to social cohesion on the ground” said Schuchardt. “We need integration programmes for those willing to integrate; otherwise integration takes much longer, if it succeeds at all”. He also highlighted the financial implications. Every refugee or asylum seeker who joins the workforce relieves cities from social welfare expenses. Without integration courses, getting people into employment becomes almost impossible.
