Berlin freezes new spots in federally funded integration courses, leaving up to 129,500 newcomers without language training

The Federal Ministry of the Interior has quietly instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to stop issuing new admissions for state-subsidised integration courses under § 44 (4) of the Residence Act. A ministerial circular dated 9 February 2026—now made public—orders BAMF offices and course providers to accept no additional participants from groups that do not enjoy an explicit legal entitlement. Those groups include asylum-seekers with pending claims, most Ukrainians under temporary protection, tolerated persons (Geduldete), and EU-citizens who previously filled vacant seats.

The policy means that as many as 129,500 people who had been budgeted for a place in 2026 will now be turned away. Government spokespeople argue the freeze is necessary to keep programme costs within the €1.064 billion that parliament approved for 2026. Because courses run across fiscal years, the Interior Ministry fears new admissions this year would generate liabilities that burst the 2027 budget.

Officials insist that asylum applicants can still attend short “First Orientation” classes and that job-seekers on unemployment benefits may be obliged to join a course paid for by the Jobcentre. Municipalities and course organisers counter that the halt undermines social cohesion and labour-market integration at a time when Germany is courting foreign talent to fill its record 1.7 million vacancies.



Local authorities, led by the Association of German Cities and the German District Council, complain they were not consulted. They warn of knock-on costs: without systematic language tuition, newcomers will depend longer on welfare, struggle in schools and childcare, and delay professional up-skilling.

For individuals and employers trying to navigate the shifting immigration landscape, third-party facilitators such as VisaHQ can help close critical gaps. VisaHQ’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) consolidates up-to-date requirements for work, family-reunification and short-stay visas and offers step-by-step application support, easing the path for newcomers and HR departments alike when publicly funded integration infrastructure is throttled.

Private and non-profit course providers fear insolvencies as utilisation rates drop; some have already reported cancellations and staff layoffs. The German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) calls the decision “a savings measure at the expense of integration infrastructure.”

Corporate mobility managers should note practical consequences. Non-EU transferees who arrive with partners lacking an automatic course entitlement may need to fund private language classes—adding roughly €1,200–€1,500 per participant. Employers that rely on the Skilled Immigration Act’s fast-track procedure must still show German-language prospects for family members in their relocation plans; sourcing private tuition early will now be essential. HR departments should also revisit expatriate benefit policies, as the benefit-in-kind tax exemption applies only to recognised BAMF courses.