Green Party politician Leon Eckert has criticized Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s planned measures to tighten requirements for German language tests for foreigners, which are intended to combat cheating. Eckert told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that while test cheating must be prosecuted, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) must first address its security vulnerabilities instead of imposing harsher rules on all honest test-takers. Eckert argued that Dobrindt’s plans-which include halving the number of German courses, eliminating most opportunities for retakes, and raising the general test threshold-do not constitute anti-cheating efforts, but rather budgetary cuts placed on individuals who wish to learn German.
The push for these stricter rules came after a new ministerial decree, reported by “Die Bild”, highlighted a recent surge in cheating attempts during German tests. According to the decree, participants in integration courses were illegally obtaining written tests and solutions via the internet, and subsequently entering them during the “Listening and Reading” sections of the examinations. Dobrindt’s new policy dictates that a test may no longer be considered passed if other examination components were incomplete or inadequate.
Conversely, Alexander Throm, the federal union fraction’s internal affairs spokesperson, welcomed the proposed reforms. He told the NOZ that it was absolutely correct for the Interior Minister to introduce safeguards against tricks and fraud and to increase test requirements. Throm stressed that language skills are not a trivial matter; they represent a crucial proof of integration. He added that the state invests significant public funds in integration courses-approximately 1.3 billion euros in 2025-making any attempt by participants to cheat a sign of serious disrespect.
