Austria’s integration policy is about to get significantly tougher. At a Vienna press conference on 13 November, Integration Minister **Claudia Plakolm** unveiled draft legislation that will lengthen the compulsory **“Werte- und Orientierungskurse”** for recognised refugees and subsidiary-protection holders from three to **five consecutive days** starting 1 January 2026.
The revamped curriculum is split into five themed modules—“German & Education”, “Work & Personal Responsibility”, “State & Democracy”, “Security & Cohesion”, and “Belonging & Volunteering”. Each block mixes classroom teaching with excursions to places such as Holocaust memorials, fire brigades and local employers. Real-time interpretation will be available in 11 languages to ensure comprehension. At the end participants must sign a **new ten-point Integration Declaration**, pledging to respect Austrian law, gender equality and social norms, to learn German diligently and to seek employment.
![Austria Extends Mandatory Refugee Orientation Course to Five Days, Adds Ten-Point Integration Declaration]()
Sanctions for non-compliance are explicit: absenteeism or refusal to sign can trigger reduced social benefits, administrative fines and ultimately the withdrawal of residence status. The government frames the measure as a “demand-and-encourage” approach that answers public calls for clearer obligations on newcomers. NGOs concede the richer content is useful but criticise the coercive elements and warn that success will hinge on sufficient funding for language classes and childcare.
Business impact is mixed. Many Austrian firms rely on refugees for entry-level roles in logistics, hospitality and manufacturing. HR departments will need to adjust onboarding timelines, as new hires may now spend an entire work-week in class before starting. On the upside, employers will receive standardised certificates proving course completion, simplifying compliance checks when renewing **Red-White-Red Cards** or filling quota-based permits.
Parliament’s migration committee will scrutinise the decree over the next six weeks, but insiders expect only minor tweaks given broad coalition support. If passed unchanged, the reform will recalibrate Austria’s balance between rights and obligations in integration—and could become a template for other EU states grappling with public scepticism over asylum.
The revamped curriculum is split into five themed modules—“German & Education”, “Work & Personal Responsibility”, “State & Democracy”, “Security & Cohesion”, and “Belonging & Volunteering”. Each block mixes classroom teaching with excursions to places such as Holocaust memorials, fire brigades and local employers. Real-time interpretation will be available in 11 languages to ensure comprehension. At the end participants must sign a **new ten-point Integration Declaration**, pledging to respect Austrian law, gender equality and social norms, to learn German diligently and to seek employment.
Sanctions for non-compliance are explicit: absenteeism or refusal to sign can trigger reduced social benefits, administrative fines and ultimately the withdrawal of residence status. The government frames the measure as a “demand-and-encourage” approach that answers public calls for clearer obligations on newcomers. NGOs concede the richer content is useful but criticise the coercive elements and warn that success will hinge on sufficient funding for language classes and childcare.
Business impact is mixed. Many Austrian firms rely on refugees for entry-level roles in logistics, hospitality and manufacturing. HR departments will need to adjust onboarding timelines, as new hires may now spend an entire work-week in class before starting. On the upside, employers will receive standardised certificates proving course completion, simplifying compliance checks when renewing **Red-White-Red Cards** or filling quota-based permits.
Parliament’s migration committee will scrutinise the decree over the next six weeks, but insiders expect only minor tweaks given broad coalition support. If passed unchanged, the reform will recalibrate Austria’s balance between rights and obligations in integration—and could become a template for other EU states grappling with public scepticism over asylum.
