Overview
- Germany’s upper house passed a non-binding resolution urging the federal government to lift the enrollment freeze and roll back cuts to integration courses.
- The resolution answers a February change by the federal migration office that makes people who join these courses voluntarily pay their own fees.
- Those affected include asylum seekers still in process, people with tolerated status, migrants from other EU countries, and many who fled the war in Ukraine.
- State governments warn that course providers face heavy strain in rural areas, which could mean fewer nearby classes and longer waits even for eligible learners.
- Berlin cites the need to save money, while the Bundesrat calls the courses a key investment that helps people gain German skills, enter training and work, and take part in civic life.