In a recent letter to the Bundestag’s Budget Committee, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) has requested an additional 560 million euros for integration courses for refugees. According to a report by the “Bild”newspaper, the letter was signed by Finance State Secretary Steffen Meyer.
Meyer stated in the letter that the funds are required for “over-budget expenditures”to ensure timely payment and, in part, to continue existing integration courses. The need for the additional funds was unforeseen, as the scope of the demand for integration courses was not definitively quantifiable during the cabinet’s decision on the budget in July and August of last year.
The initial budget for 2025 had allocated 500 million euros for integration courses. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has responded to the request with strong criticism. Christian Haase, the group’s budget spokesperson, told the “Bild”newspaper that the expenses for integration courses have consistently been around one billion euros per year in previous years. “It appears that the members of the Budget Committee are being deliberately misled”Haase said. “The SPD-led government and the ministries of Faeser and Heil must finally stop operating with false numbers. This seems to be a method. The loss of trust is heavy.