Deutsche Welle concludes that Germany’s Integration Act has produced both benefits and drawbacks.

Germany’s Integration Act, passed in 2016, is not a single policy but a package of measures intended to support and regulate the integration of refugees and other protected migrants. The measures include expanded access to language courses and employment programs, a residence requirement for some people granted protection, and the Ausbildungsduldung.

The latter temporarily protects certain people from deportation while they complete vocational training but does not give them a regular residence permit. The individual measures have produced different results.

Temporary protection during vocational training can give refugees and employers greater planning certainty and may open a path to longer-term legal residence. At the same time, the person’s ability to remain in Germany often depends on successfully completing the training, which can create additional legal uncertainty and pressure.

The residence requirement limits where some recognized refugees and other protected migrants may live. It can reduce migration between regions and ease pressure on municipalities that have accepted particularly large numbers of newcomers.

However, an evaluation published by Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, or BAMF, found that the residence requirement probably does not achieve its intended integration goals overall. It may prevent people from moving closer to jobs or support networks and creates substantial administrative work.

Any positive effects on employment were not sustained. Employment programs and language courses generally improve refugees’ job prospects.

These improvements cannot, however, be attributed solely to the 2016 Integration Act, because other laws, economic conditions, and government programs also played a role. The evidence therefore supports a mixed assessment of individual measures, but not a simple overall conclusion that the entire law was either successful or harmful.