Austria’s integration landscape is about to change fundamentally. At a press conference in Vienna on 13 November 2025, Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) unveiled a draft federal programme that will extend the compulsory “Werte- und Orientierungskurse” (values and orientation courses) for recognised refugees and subsidiary-protection holders from the current three days to five consecutive days. The reform, which still needs final cabinet approval but enjoys broad coalition support, is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2026.
The revamped curriculum will consist of five thematic modules—“German & Education”, “Work & Personal Responsibility”, “State & Democracy”, “Security & Cohesion”, and “Belonging & Volunteering”. Each block blends classroom instruction with practical workshops and excursions; planned site visits range from Holocaust memorials to local volunteer fire brigades. Real-time interpretation into eleven languages will be offered to ensure comprehension. Upon completion, participants must sign a new ten-point “Integration Declaration” pledging to respect the rule of law, gender equality, and Austrian customs, to learn German diligently, seek employment, and actively oppose discrimination.
![Austria to Lengthen Mandatory Orientation Courses and Introduce Ten-Point Integration Declaration for Refugees]()
Failure to attend the full course or to sign the declaration will trigger graduated sanctions. These start with reductions in integration benefits and can escalate to administrative fines and, ultimately, the withdrawal of a residence title. According to the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), the pilot phase—tested with 900 participants in Lower Austria and Styria earlier this year—showed a 92 percent attendance rate and positive feedback from employers who took part in the work-skills modules.
Business implications are significant. Many multinational companies rely on refugees to fill entry-level shortages in logistics, hospitality and manufacturing. Human-resources departments will need to adjust onboarding timelines, because new hires may spend a full working week in class before starting employment. On the upside, companies will receive standardised proof of course completion and integration-declaration signatures, making compliance checks for Red-White-Red Card renewals more predictable.
The tougher stance also responds to political pressure for a “demand-and-encourage” approach. Minister Plakolm stressed that integration is “a duty, not an invitation”, echoing Interior Minister Gerhard Karner’s emphasis on reduced asylum numbers. NGOs welcomed the richer curriculum but warned that coercive elements could be counterproductive if not accompanied by sufficient language-learning capacity and childcare support. Over the next six weeks parliament’s migration committee will review the decree, but observers expect only minor amendments before final passage.
The revamped curriculum will consist of five thematic modules—“German & Education”, “Work & Personal Responsibility”, “State & Democracy”, “Security & Cohesion”, and “Belonging & Volunteering”. Each block blends classroom instruction with practical workshops and excursions; planned site visits range from Holocaust memorials to local volunteer fire brigades. Real-time interpretation into eleven languages will be offered to ensure comprehension. Upon completion, participants must sign a new ten-point “Integration Declaration” pledging to respect the rule of law, gender equality, and Austrian customs, to learn German diligently, seek employment, and actively oppose discrimination.
Failure to attend the full course or to sign the declaration will trigger graduated sanctions. These start with reductions in integration benefits and can escalate to administrative fines and, ultimately, the withdrawal of a residence title. According to the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), the pilot phase—tested with 900 participants in Lower Austria and Styria earlier this year—showed a 92 percent attendance rate and positive feedback from employers who took part in the work-skills modules.
Business implications are significant. Many multinational companies rely on refugees to fill entry-level shortages in logistics, hospitality and manufacturing. Human-resources departments will need to adjust onboarding timelines, because new hires may spend a full working week in class before starting employment. On the upside, companies will receive standardised proof of course completion and integration-declaration signatures, making compliance checks for Red-White-Red Card renewals more predictable.
The tougher stance also responds to political pressure for a “demand-and-encourage” approach. Minister Plakolm stressed that integration is “a duty, not an invitation”, echoing Interior Minister Gerhard Karner’s emphasis on reduced asylum numbers. NGOs welcomed the richer curriculum but warned that coercive elements could be counterproductive if not accompanied by sufficient language-learning capacity and childcare support. Over the next six weeks parliament’s migration committee will review the decree, but observers expect only minor amendments before final passage.
