Training Program for Refugees under Threat of Removal - Immigrants Undergoing Training Avoid Deportation
In the northernmost federal state of Germany, a growing concern over unfilled training positions has sparked a call to action from labour market networks and the Chamber of Crafts Lübeck. The appeal urges a halt to the deportation of people in training and for foreign authorities to prioritise applications for training tolerance.
Recent legislative reforms in Germany have focused on accelerating deportations and tightening asylum procedures, with the aim of reducing migration pull factors. The Law on Improving Deportation Procedures, enacted in February 2024, introduced stricter rules on subsequent asylum applications, allowing authorities to declare certain applications "manifestly unfounded" if seen as attempts to delay deportation. The Act on the Improvement of Removals, also entered into force in February 2024, further reformed detention and return frameworks, increasing deportation efficiency but facing criticism for curtailing non-nationals' rights.
However, the current policies regarding the deportation of refugees in training and the prioritization of processing applications for training tolerance have come under scrutiny. Anne-Katrin Lother of the network "All on Board! - Perspective Labour Market for Refugees" expressed concern about the difficulty migrants in a tolerated status face when attempting to start an apprenticeship. Carmen Haas of the Chamber of Crafts Lübeck criticised the delay in responses and the deportation of trainees, highlighting the need for a "binding perspective" for companies and refugees to tackle the skilled labor shortage and ensure security.
Applications for training tolerances are not being processed in a timely manner, leading to threats of deportation or deportation before the apprenticeship even begins, and in the worst case, during the apprenticeship. Lother mentioned that laws allow refugees to obtain a residence permit through an apprenticeship after a rejected asylum procedure, but this often fails due to the foreign authority denying them the apprenticeship or granting the permit too late.
The issue of deportation of refugees in training is not discussed in this paragraph, but FDP MP Bernd Buchholz, who is from Lübeck, suggested that if an apprenticeship fails due to a backlog of applications, the integration ministry can no longer ignore the problem. In the chamber district of Lübeck, 13 percent of the almost 10,000 apprentices have a foreign nationality, according to Haas.
The call for change comes at a time when policymakers are grappling with balancing efficient deportations with ensuring procedural fairness and adequate refugee protections, especially for those in vulnerable situations or training programs. Challenges remain around the potential erosion of protection standards, the expansion of safe countries of origin and safe third countries, and capacity and integration limits. The government's plans to expand the list of safe countries of origin and safe third countries until 2026 have raised concerns among human rights groups and refugee advocates.
This call to action from labour market networks and the Chamber of Crafts Lübeck serves as a reminder that the integration of refugees into the labour market is a complex issue requiring careful consideration and balanced policies to ensure both the security of businesses and the protection of refugees.
[1] Blickpunkt Migration (2024). Deportation Laws in Germany: A Critical Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.blickpunkt-migration.de/deportation-laws-in-germany-a-critical-analysis/
[2] Deutsche Welle (2025). Family Reunification Rights Suspended for Migrants with Subsidiary Protection in Germany. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/family-reunification-rights-suspended-for-migrants-with-subsidiary-protection-in-germany/a-56126128
[3] Amnesty International (2024). Germany's Deportation Policies: A Human Rights Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/reports/2024/02/germany-deportation-policies-human-rights-perspective/
- The shift in Germany's employment policy towards stricter deportation procedures and reduced asylum rights has sparked concern within the community, particularly among labour market networks and the Chamber of Crafts Lübeck, who have called for a halt to the deportation of people in training and for priority in processing applications for training tolerance.
- As the integration of refugees into the labour market is a critical aspect of education-and-self-development and policy-and-legislation, learning from the Lübeck situation highlights the importance of balanced policies that prioritize both the security of businesses and the protection of refugees.
- Building on the calls for change, policymakers must address the politics of balancing efficient deportations with ensuring procedural fairness, adequate refugee protections, and addressing the skilled labor shortage, while addressing challenges such as potential erosion of protection standards, expansion of safe countries of origin and safe third countries, and capacity and integration limits.
