What is independent asylum counseling?
For many refugees, independent asylum counseling is an important first point of contact in Germany. It helps them navigate the asylum process.
In practice, the counseling centers provide support in the following areas, for example:
- to understand the asylum process
- Knowing your rights and responsibilities
- prepare important documents
- prepare for hearings
The counseling service is independent of government agencies such as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). This means that refugees receive information from an agency that is not also responsible for deciding on their asylum application.
Government agencies also benefit from these counseling centers: When asylum seekers are well-informed early on, procedures often proceed more quickly and in a more organized manner. This helps prevent errors or unnecessary complaints.
The independent asylum counseling service was established in late 2022 and launched in mid-2023. It is free of charge and is offered by organizations such as the Workers’ Welfare Association (AWO), Caritas, and Diakonie. In the first two years, approximately 108,000 people took advantage of this service.
What exactly is planned
The current debate centers on the funding of independent asylum counseling. The federal government currently allocates approximately 25 million euros per year for this purpose.
According to reports by the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), the Federal Ministry of the Interior plans to completely eliminate this funding starting in 2027. The Ministry of the Interior has not yet confirmed these plans.
A spokesperson explained that decisions regarding funding and grant programs will not be made until budget negotiations take place. Those negotiations for the year 2027 have yet to occur.
However, the RND reports that the project is already further along internally than the ministry has indicated publicly.
Second major cut in the area of asylum and integration
This is not the first round of budget cuts the Ministry of the Interior has planned in the area of asylum and integration. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) intends to stop approving voluntary participation in integration courses for the entire year of 2026.
This primarily affects migrants who are not legally entitled to an integration course. Until now, they have been able to participate on a voluntary basis if spots were available. This option is now set to be eliminated.
Specifically, this concerns the following groups:
- Asylum seekers with pending cases
- Individuals with a Tolerance permit
- Refugees from Ukraine with residence status under Section 24 of the Residence Act
- EU citizens
- Germans with special integration needs
- Individuals protected from deportation
Currently, these groups of people can only participate in integration courses if they are required to do so by a government agency or if they pay for the course themselves.
According to the RND, there are currently 72,000 open spots in courses across Germany that were supposed to begin in the coming months. By comparison, 307,000 voluntary enrollments were still approved in 2025—by the end of February of this year, that number had dropped to just 589.
Conclusion
It has not yet been officially confirmed whether funding for independent asylum counseling centers will indeed be discontinued. A final decision is expected to be made during the 2027 budget negotiations.
For refugees, this could mean that they will receive less support in the asylum process and with their integration in Germany in the future. Experts also warn that this could make the procedures more complicated and slower.
