Osnabrück – September 15, 2026 -- Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior has cut budgeted funding for mandatory integration courses to 590 million euros for 2027, down from nearly 1 billion euros in 2026, a reduction of roughly 41%.
Funding cut will finance only 150,000 participants next year
According to the ministry's response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Green Party, obtained by Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, the 590 million euro allocation for 2027 covers just 150,000 course participants. That compares with more than 400,000 people who completed the courses in 2025; final 2026 enrollment figures have not yet been released.
Green Party lawmaker demands reversal ahead of Bundestag budget debate
Filiz Polat, parliamentary managing director for the Greens and a migration policy specialist, called on the coalition government to reverse the cut. She accused Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of deliberately restricting course capacity despite six months of warnings from participants, course providers and business groups. Polat argued that language acquisition is the prerequisite for employment and urged the SPD and CDU/CSU factions to secure sufficient funding and course slots in parliament. The Green Party characterized the move as a systematic rollback of integration policy gains made in recent years.
Eligibility remains tied to residency status
Priority access to the courses is reserved for migrants with a long-term residency outlook, though Ukrainian refugees and EU nationals also qualify. The interior ministry's overall budget, including the integration course line item, is scheduled for debate in the Bundestag on Thursday.