Information request: ‘Incentives aiming at participation in integration activities’

Ad-hoc query on promoting participation of beneficiaries of international protection in integration programmes in EU Member States.*

Study period – August-September 2025
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)

Background and scope

• Under the current Integration Act 2013 (Wi2013), the Netherlands may impose a fine on beneficiaries of international protection who do not complete their integration process on time or fail to attend mandatory components.
• In July 2025, the Council of State ruled that this is in conflict with European directives (2011/95/EU). Therefore, the Netherlands has suspended the fines.
• In light of a revision of the current legislation, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, through the European Migration Network, is investigating which positive and negative incentives other EU Member States use to encourage beneficiaries of international protection to participate in integration programmes and take mandatory exams.

EMN publications

• Compilation of answers from 25 EU Member States to the ad-hoc query, September 2025

EMN Netherlands publications

• News item, 'What do other EU Member States do to promote integration?', 19 March 2026