Caught between participation and hopelessness: refugees in the municipality

I work with young refugees who speak German, who are active in their communities, who have future plans. And yet, they live each day knowing they could be deported or marginalised at any time. In Germany, integration is welcomed – as long as the price is not too high.

True integration begins at local level – but the conditions are far from ideal

Public debate around migration and asylum often focuses on border control, asylum policy or skilled worker immigration. What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that real integration work happens on the ground. In counselling centres, schools, youth services and housing projects – led by people doing their best to foster a sense of belonging, often with very limited resources.

Yet municipalities remain structurally underfunded. They are left to handle growing challenges related to housing, education, employment and psychosocial care – frequently without adequate support from the government, whether on a national or a state level.

According to a 2023 survey by the German Association of Cities, 85% of municipalities have stated that they have reached their limits when it comes to housing refugees. At the same time, there is a lack of sustainable integration funding and staffing in critical areas like youth welfare and psychosocial counselling.

Rapid shift from social solidarity to deliberate marginalisation

The years following 2015 were marked by solidarity and civic engagement – a collective awakening. Today, however, we are witnessing the opposite: deportation drives, cuts to language programmes, reductions in benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, and increasingly stigmatising rhetoric.

In 2023, the number of deportations rose by over 25%, reaching approximately 16,430 cases. At the same time, the so-called Repatriation Improvement Act was passed, significantly curtailing basic rights such as the inviolability of the home.

At a local level, these developments translate into fear, uncertainty and withdrawal – especially among young people who once dared to hope. But integration requires security, not a climate of intimidation.

Refugees in Germany are increasingly divided into categories: some are welcomed, others merely tolerated. People from Ukraine receive immediate access to rights – employment, social benefits and housing. In contrast, individuals from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, or various African countries often remain trapped in legal limbo for years. This two-tier system threatens not only individual futures, but also social cohesion in towns and communities.

Tireless support – but who’s helping the helpers?

Thousands of people across Germany are still engaged in voluntary integration work. They support families, help with homework, run language cafés or organise leisure activities. Yet many initiatives are stretched to their limits, lack funding or are marked by a general absence of recognition. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation (2023), 61% of volunteers working with refugees feel “abandoned”, especially by policymakers. What is needed is structural support for civil society engagement – through training, reliable funding and institutional backing.

Successful integration is possible – if it’s allowed to happen

One example of sustainable, participatory integration is the organisation Train of Hope Dortmund e.V.. Founded out of the Civil Society Welcome movement in 2015, the association now offers professional counselling, educational programmes and empowerment formats for refugees and migrants.

What makes this approach is unique is that refugees actively help shape the work, and many staff members have migration experiences of their own.

Train of Hope works closely with municipal institutions, welfare organisations and migrant-led groups – serving as a good-practice model for anchoring participation, anti-discrimination and integration at local level.

For integration to succeed at local level, political decisions must take the realities faced by municipalities seriously:

At national level:

• Make residence regulations permanent: Those who are integrated must be given reliable long-term prospects – regardless of their country of origin.

• Grant all refugees access benefits according to the Second Book of the German Social Code (SGB II) to facilitate participation and integration into the labour market.

• Strengthen volunteer engagement through multi-year funding programmes and institutional support for civil society structures.

At state and local level:

• Expand municipal integration and make it compulsory.

• Strengthen youth services and school-based social work specifically for young refugees.

• Promote participation, for example through migration advisory councils with voting rights and meaningful co-determination for refugees.

Participation is not a privilege – it’s a responsibility

Refugee Day is not a day to commemorate refugees — it is a political call to action: for equal rights, fair procedures and genuine participation. Integration happens on the ground — but it must no longer take place under precarious conditions. Refugees do not need our gratitude — they need reliable structures, safety, security and a voice in shaping their own future.

If we truly want integration to succeed, we must stop demanding it — and start enabling it.