Almost all EU Member States have voluntary or mandatory integration programmes for beneficiaries of international protection. The way in which countries attempt to encourage participation varies.
Ad hoc query EMN NL | Integration
What do other EU Member States do to promote integration?
19 March 2026
> Read the compilation of answers from 25 EU Member States* to the ad hoc query** from EMN Netherlands
This is evident from an ad hoc query in which EMN Netherlands surveys European countries to determine if and how they motivate beneficiaries of international protection to participate in integration programmes and exams.
Positive or negative incentives
Twelve Member States use positive incentives. These include, for example:
- financial support/reimbursement of course fees (DE, EL, FI, LU, NL, PL, SE);
- reimbursement of public transport costs (EL, SI);
- childcare during the course (EE);
- accommodation during the course (SI);
- increased chances of finding employment (ES);
- requirement for a residence permit (MT);
- better prospects for naturalisation (DE, FR, LU, NL).
Thirteen countries also use negative incentives for non-compliance or failure to participate in integration programmes in full or on time, such as:
- reduction or loss of financial assistance (EE, ES, LT, PL, SE);
- reduction or loss of social benefits (AT, FI);
- reduction or loss of accommodation services (ES, IT, LT);
- relocation to another accommodation facility (ES);
- self-payment of course fees (HU, MT);
- fines or sanctions (BE, DE, NL).
About the ad hoc query from EMN Netherlands
According to current legislation, the Netherlands can impose a fine on beneficiaries of international protection who do not complete their integration process on time. In July 2025, the Council of State ruled that this is in conflict with European regulations. Therefore, the Netherlands has suspended the fines. In light of a revision of the current legislation, EMN Netherlands investigated through the European Migration Network the positive and negative incentives used by other EU Member States to encourage beneficiaries of international protection to participate in integration programmes.
*Participating countries: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), Cyprus (CY), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Finland (FI), France (FR), Greece (EL), Hungary (HU), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), Croatia (HR), Latvia (LV), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Malta (MT), Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI), Spain (ES), Czech Republic (CZ), Sweden (SE)
**An ad hoc query (AHQ) is an EMN tool used to gather information on migration and asylum policy in EU Member States and observant countries of the EMN.
