Access to integration courses currently severely restricted
As announced last week, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will no longer decide on admissions to voluntary integration courses from the end of 2025. This affects people without Residence permit permanent Residence permit. Their participation is voluntary and requires approval from the BAMF.
This group includes:
- Asylum seekers in the current procedure
- Individuals with a Tolerance permit
- Ukrainians with temporary protection (Section 24 of the Residence Act).
- EU citizens
- Persons subject to a national ban on deportation
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that applications from individuals with these residence permits are currently being reviewed with particular rigor. It is unclear how long this practice will continue. However, permits that have already been granted will remain valid.
Will integration courses only be available to those with prospects of remaining in the country in the future?
As reported by the research portal Correctiv, the federal government is also discussing further restrictions on access to integration courses. In future, participation will be limited primarily to people who are expected to remain in Germany on a long-term basis. People without this prospect will have no or only very limited access to integration courses.
However, these plans have not yet been officially confirmed. There is neither a draft bill nor any announcements from the federal government or individual ministries.
Correctiv reports that individuals familiar with the authorities involved have confirmed that corresponding plans are being discussed within the federal government.
Integration courses continue for these groups of people
A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry stated last week that integration courses would continue to be offered to people with prospects of remaining in Germany. These include, for example:
- Recognized refugees (Section 25 (2) Alt. 1 of the Residence Act)
- Persons entitled to subsidiary protection (Section 25 (2) Alt. 2 of the Residence Act)
- Persons with residence permits for gainful employment (e.g., EU Blue Card, Section 18a, Section 18b, Section 18d of the Residence Act)
- as well as persons joining family members who have permanent residence permits
The ministry has not yet commented on individuals without prospects of remaining in the country.
At the same time, the spokesperson pointed out that the number of new arrivals seeking protection is falling. This means that fewer courses will be needed in the future. However, the ministry did not provide any specific information on how many people will still have access to integration courses in the future.
Ukrainians also affected
The consequences for refugees from Ukraine could be particularly far-reaching. According to BAMF statistics, they accounted for around 30 percent of all participants in integration courses in the first half of 2025 – approximately 53,500 people. According to the Central Register of Foreigners, a total of around 1.3 million Ukrainians were living in Germany at the end of 2025.
Restricting access to integration courses could affect a significant proportion of this group, as well as people from Afghanistan and Syria. Critics warn that this would significantly slow down integration in terms of language, work, and everyday life.
Financial savings as the reason for the plans
Financial reasons are said to be behind the planned restrictions. Around one billion euros was available for integration courses last year. However, actual expenditure was higher, meaning that the Bundestag had to approve additional funds.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to avoid this situation in the future and reduce costs. One option the federal government is considering is to reduce the number of approved integration courses.
According to Correctiv, the BAMF originally assumed that it would approve around 129,500 voluntary applications in 2026. Whether this figure will remain unchanged is currently unclear.
Conclusion: Return to the old rules?
Access to integration courses is regulated by the Residence Act. Persons who obtained a residence permit for the first time on or after January 1, 2005, are required to complete an integration course. Residence permit and reside permanently in Germany generally have a legal right to participate. In addition, other persons may be admitted in accordance with Section 44 (4) of the Residence Act if places are available.
When integration courses were first introduced, they were aimed exclusively at people with secure residence status. In the following years, access was gradually expanded. From 2015, asylum seekers with good prospects of remaining in the country were also given access to integration courses. A further opening took place in 2022 with the admission of refugees from Ukraine.
This gradual expansion could now be reversed. There are indications that the federal government is considering linking access to integration courses more closely to secure prospects of remaining in Germany.
These plans have not yet been officially confirmed. No concrete draft legislation has been presented. If the law is passed, integration courses could in future once again be open exclusively to people with secure residence rights.
