Ukrainian refugees and other foreign nationals with job prospects will be able to voluntarily enroll in integration courses again starting August 1, the federal government has announced.

Integration Commissioner Natalie Pawlik of the Social Democrats (SPD) called the agreement reached following a cabinet decision an "important signal."

"Lifting the blanket ban on voluntary enrollment in integration courses is an important step," she wrote under a video on Instagram. "After all, learning German opens up better opportunities for daily life, one's career, and settling in successfully."

The cabinet had previously approved amendments to the Integration Course Ordinance, which regulates the basic provision and implementation of integration courses for immigrants and ethnic Germans taking up their citizenship after sometimes generations or centuries abroad (for instance ethnic German populations in former Soviet countries -- known as Spätaussiedler) in Germany.

Demand for integration courses has remained consistently high since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The new ordinance prioritizes individuals expected to enter the labor market, including foreign nationals with residence permits, German citizens, and other EU citizens who lack sufficient language skills, as well as their family members.

According to Pawlik, these groups are now eligible to enroll in courses voluntarily if spots are available. This decision marks the end of a blanket admission freeze for voluntary participants that was originally implemented by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in February. 

Call for long-term funding

Pawlik also called for long-term funding and further development of the courses, dpa reported.

The commissioner emphasized the need for a more practical approach that better accommodates individuals' daily realities, specifically by aligning course schedules with existing career commitments and family responsibilities, she told the dpa news agency.

"What matters now is that the new regulations work well in practice," she added.

In an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau from February and at other occasions, Pawlik had warned against cutting funding to the point of destroying Germany's integration infrastructure.

According to the migration media service, some 307,000 refugees and migrants began an integration course last year, down from 363,000 in 2024. Ukrainians and Syrians are the largest groups by nationality.

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A threat to social cohesion?

The German Adult Education Association has sharply criticized the federal government, accusing it of systematically "dismantling integration courses" through continued budget cuts.

In an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung published Tuesday (July 21), Association Director Julia von Westerholt warned that these measures undermine a key integration tool, threatening social cohesion and the supply of skilled workers.

According to the association, only 590 million euros are earmarked for integration courses in 2027 -- a figure ten percent lower than previously anticipated and a significant drop from the one billion euros budgeted for this year, news agency epd reported.

While the federal Ministry of the Interior suggested that "unspent funds" from 2026 could supplement future budgets, according to epd, critics within the governing social democratic party have already expressed dissatisfaction, stating the current draft does not reflect the necessary "adequate funding" for these programs.

with dpa, epd