Vienna to End German Language Courses for Refugees Amid Funding Dispute
The city of Vienna has announced plans to discontinue its funding of German language courses for refugees beginning next year. This decision comes after ongoing disagreements between Vienna's municipal authorities and the federally managed Austrian Integration Fund over responsibility for providing language education to refugees.
Currently, the Vienna Social Fund (FSW) supports German courses for refugees, with approximately 1,700 places funded in 2024 at a cost of nearly 1.9 million euros. Between 2017 and 2024, the total expenditure on these programs has reached around 20 million euros. The city authorities argue that the federal Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) should take over this responsibility, but they claim that insufficient course availability has required local intervention.
According to Vienna's Social Councillor, the expectation is that the ÖIF, which is overseen by the federal government, should offer enough German language courses for refugees and displaced persons. However, Vienna officials maintain that the current supply does not meet existing demand. They cite recent instances where thousands of individuals received notifications indicating that no courses were available to them.
In response, the Austrian Integration Fund has clarified its position, stating that its legal mandate covers German courses for asylum and subsidiary protection status holders, as well as Ukrainian refugees, but not for asylum seekers. The ÖIF contends that the Vienna Social Fund has been providing courses for a category of individuals who are not covered by federal law, and therefore, the local program was not acting as a replacement for federal services.
The ÖIF further explained that individuals who have exhausted their language course entitlements - often due to unexcused absences, disciplinary issues, or non-participation - are redirected to freely accessible online language courses, with the possibility of regaining course access at higher language proficiency levels. Vienna's agency responsible for social welfare communicates this process to affected recipients as well.
Amidst these disputes, rising financial pressures on the city have added urgency to the decision. Vienna faces a significant budget deficit, prompting officials to seek cost-saving measures that include reducing expenditures on language courses. The anticipated savings from discontinuing these programs are expected to align with previous annual costs associated with providing German courses to refugees.
The discontinuation of the courses has drawn criticism from opposition parties. The Vienna branch of the Green Party expressed concerns that halting language education could hinder integration efforts, warning that removing language support undermines the successful inclusion of refugees into society. They also criticized the ongoing disagreements between city and federal authorities, emphasizing the need for coordinated solutions.
Despite calls for the federal government to expand language course capacities, Vienna's officials have reiterated their stance that the responsibility lies with the Austrian Integration Fund to adequately address the needs of refugees and other eligible groups in the capital. The ÖIF, for its part, maintains that its use of public funds is consistent with principles of efficiency and legality.
As the city prepares to phase out its German language courses for refugees, attention remains focused on how language education needs will be met in the future and whether additional measures will be implemented at the federal or municipal level to address gaps in integration support.