Core project to support initial integration and recognition

“Initial integration: Facilitating arrival – communicating values” is phase II of the “National Action Plan on Integration ” (NAP-I) which the federal government is using to focus a range of different measures relating to integration into a national strategy. The action plan focuses on five phases of immigration and cohabitation. The federal government has now formulated its core projects for phase II—these include the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

In the statement available, the federal government specifies a total of four core projects for the recognition of “national and educational qualifications”.

• The recognition grant is used to support skilled workers who want to have their foreign professional or university qualifications recognized in Germany and who do not receive any other funding.
• The Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) offers centralised advice and support with recognition. This is intended to make the recognition procedure more efficient and transparent.
• The purpose of the Recognition Round Table is to connect stakeholders involved in the recognition procedure and to systematically incorporate the experiences of skilled workers, migrant organisations, welfare associations, social partners, and counselling centres.
• In the care sector, the federal government is establishing, on a pilot basis, a process chain for immigration: The pathways to equivalence are to be accelerated by means of a focused service structure for health facilities engaged in recruitment, and by expanding training measures.

Further projects in phase II concern “language support”, “guidance provision” and “education and training as the basis of successful integration and participation”. A particular focus is the development of digital formats - for example, the “digital offensive for integration and language courses for work purposes” and the introduction of “online counselling as a standard offer in migration guidance”.

Phase II starts with the initial integration, and therefore immediately after the arrival of the migrants. The federal government wants to use its core projects to promote integration “as early as possible” and lay the foundation for “successful integration and participation”.

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has so far supported the NAP I process with a number of workshops. The results of phases II and III will be presented in October 2020 at the Chancellor’s 12th Integration Summit.

Further information:

Federal government statement—Integration officer press release of 29/07/2020

Questions and answers on the National Action Plan on Integration

Nationaler Aktionsplan Integration (NAP-I) – National Action Plan on Integration (NAP-I)

Recognition grant

Central Service Agency for Professional Recognition (ZSBA)