(Anadolu) Austria’s Integration, Family and EU Affairs Minister Claudia Plakolm announced on Wednesday that voluntary integration is “over,” as the government prepares to introduce a three-year mandatory program linking social benefits to participation in language and values courses.
The initiative, set to be included in a broader social welfare reform this fall, will apply to asylum holders, those with subsidiary protection, displaced persons, and asylum seekers with a strong chance of remaining in Austria.
“Anyone who fails to attend German or values courses without justification, or does not register with the Public Employment Service, can expect significant reductions in assistance,” Plakolm told Austria Press Agency.
