In 2024, the area of integration was again characterized by the high number of people entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection who received protection in Austria. By the end of November 2023, over 23,200 grants of asylum and subsidiary protection were recorded. In accordance with the mandate from the Integration Act, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) provides consultations, German courses as well as values and orientation courses. For the third time in a row, the ÖIF 2024 recorded a new record for German course places and integration tests; In addition, additional integration offers for immigrants were further expanded.
67,500 German course places in 2024: ÖIF made more German course places available for refugees and displaced people than ever before
In 2024, the ÖIF provided around 67,500 German course places, 1,000 more places than in 2023. Most of the course places were taken up by Syrians (around 47%) and Ukrainian displaced persons (around 34%), followed by citizens from Afghanistan ( 8%), Somalia (3%) and Iran (2%). In addition, the ÖIF provides a comprehensive range of learning opportunities and online German courses that are freely accessible ÖIF language portal (sprachportal.at), which is open to all immigrants regardless of their residence permit. At the end of the year, around 550,000 people had taken part in the online courses since the start of the digital learning offering in 2020. Another record is recorded for the legally stipulated ÖIF integration exams: the approximately 80,000 exams completed in 2024 correspond to an increase of more than a fifth compared to the previous year. A central challenge continues to be the declining level of education and the high need for literacy among refugees in recent years: two out of three people entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection who were granted recognition in 2024 had a need for literacy, 43% of them in their own language of origin.
Integration Minister Susanne Raab: “The increasing numbers of German course places and integration exams are particularly encouraging, because language is the key to successful integration and participation in the labor market – this is where we are using a wide range of measures. With 67,500 German course places and around 80,000 integration tests in 2024, record levels were once again achieved.”
Franz Wolf, director of the ÖIF: “The need for integration measures is extremely high against the background of the still increasing recognition of asylum and subsidiary protection and the often low level of formal education of refugees: With almost 70,000 German course places throughout Austria, the ÖIF will have more German courses in 2024 than ever before made available. Through targeted offers, the ÖIF ensures that every eligible person gets a suitable German course place within the shortest possible time. But what is important is that integration requires the will and effort to learn German, work and get to know Austria better.”
230,000 consultations in ÖIF integration centers / 12,000 participants in ÖIF values and orientation courses
In 2024, the ÖIF recorded around 230,000 consultations in the integration centers in all nine state capitals. Most of them in Vienna with 105,000 consultations, followed by Upper Austria (25,500) and Styria (23,500). In total, around 14,000 integration declarations were signed in accordance with the Integration Act in 2024. By signing, those entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection undertake, after receiving the positive decision, to complete integration measures that the ÖIF provides throughout Austria. Attending a values and orientation course is also stipulated in the Integration Act: In total, around 12,000 people took part in values and orientation courses in 2024, the majority of them in Vienna.
Around 5,300 women were reached in the ÖIF women’s centers in Graz and Vienna
In 2024, the ÖIF women’s centers were able to reach around 5,300 women with offers such as multilingual consultations, seminars and consultation hours with experts on topics such as entry into the labor market and education, health and family, as well as protection from violence and self-determination. There are also new measures aimed at male refugees in difficult life situations who deal with issues such as frustration, violence or problems in their relationships and families.
1-year ÖIF integration service for skilled workers: Support for immigrants entering the job market
The integration service for skilled workers, which opened in autumn 2023, supports qualified immigrants and their families with integration in Austria and offers comprehensive information, advice and events on pre-integration as well as on topics related to living and working in Austria. The ÖIF recorded around 7,200 consultations for immigrant skilled workers in 2024, during which qualified immigrants were supported in arriving in Austria, in recognizing qualifications acquired abroad and in entering the Austrian labor market. Anyone who has qualifications and training acquired abroad recognized in Austria can receive funding from the Integration Service: In 2024, around 1,900 notifications were funded by the ÖIF with a sum of over 400,000 Ꞓ. For working immigrants, the ÖIF also provides German courses directly in companies and thus promotes learning German in parallel with entering the job market.
ÖIF career platforms bring companies together with job-seeking participants from ÖIF German courses / 6,200 young people reached with the TOGETHER:ÖSTERREICH initiative
In order to connect job-seeking participants from ÖIF German courses with companies in need of workers, the ÖIF organized a series of career platforms in collaboration with companies. In 2024, numerous companies, including IKEA, LIDL, SPAR, REWE, McDonalds and Österreichische Post AG, provided information on around 60 career platforms throughout Austria about specific employment opportunities, vacancies as well as entry and advancement opportunities for people with limited knowledge of German. The focus of the career platforms in 2024 was on the areas of care, logistics and tourism. Participants have the opportunity to find out about open positions and conduct an interview on site. In total, around 8,000 job-seeking participants from ÖIF German courses took part in career platforms in 2024. With company visits for students, the ÖIF’s integration ambassador initiative, TOGETHER:ÖSTERREICH, also focuses on career orientation. Students visit successful people with a migrant background who work as voluntary integration ambassadors directly at their workplace in the company and can thus find out about possible career profiles and industries on site. Since 2011, the TOGETHER:ÖSTERREICH initiative has been visiting schools and clubs with successful immigrants and has been able to reach over 97,000 people since the initiative was founded.