The providers of integration courses are sounding the alarm. In a letter to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), quoted by the Frankfurter Rundschau, they report “course withdrawals, waiting times, planning uncertainty and financial losses for course operators”. These obstacles, they say, arise from “the untimely processing of participants’ enrollment applications”.
Just a few days ago it emerged that the BAMF has stopped issuing eligibility certificates for voluntary participation in these courses since the end of November. Consequently, courses for other participant groups are not being established because there are simply not enough registrations.
The letter is circulated by the Professional Association for Integration and Vocational Language Courses (BVIB). It has been signed by about 50 local operators from various states, including education providers such as Volkshochschulen, Berlitz, Inlingua and the Hartnack-Schule.
The course operators complain that they are already under pressure. They criticize that, since November, the per‑participant remuneration falls when more than 16 people attend a course. “Larger groups do not reduce the workload; they increase the demands on instructional quality, individualized support, documentation and administration” they point out. The current payment structure thus “creates a tension with the officially stated quality requirements”.
