The German Industry and Commerce Chamber (DIHK) and the German Cities and Communities Union criticized the restrictions on integration courses announced by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf).
DIHK chief executive Helena Melnikov told Handelsblatt that speaking competence is a central prerequisite for sustainable employment. She argued that slower language support typically leads to prolonged periods of social benefit and makes it harder to integrate into work, stating that early access to language courses must therefore remain guaranteed for this group.
Cities’ Union head André Berghegger expressed similar concerns. “The otherwise sound ideas of the interior minister are being undermined by the recently imposed admission restrictions for integration courses” he said. “Those who want to promote integration through work need to actively support language acquisition in parallel”.
Despite these criticisms, both organisations welcomed Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s (CSU) plan to allow asylum seekers to start working after three months. Melnikov noted that faster employment benefits everyone: businesses can tap urgently needed labour more quickly. She emphasized that early market access must be unbureaucratic, implemented uniformly across the country, and free from additional obstacles.
Berghegger called Dobrindt’s move a crucial signal, underscoring that work promotes participation and integration while helping to lower societal costs. He also stressed that the option to work should not, of course, apply to people without the right to remain.
