Work & skilled workersAnnouncementMedium impactVerified

Germany Reforms Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) with Sharpened Profile and Defined Tasks

🇩🇪 Germany1 recorded versionLast change 20 Aug 2026

ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) programme has undergone comprehensive reform processes aimed at sharpening its profile and clarifying its framework conditions. The tasks of the counselling centres are now more clearly defined to improve connections with other counselling programmes and facilitate seamless transitions to local services, such as job centres. A key objective is to reach individuals in the first three years after their arrival in Germany to ensure quick connection to regular services. Personal conversation remains the most important success factor, despite considerations of digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence for organizational relief and information provision.

Overview

Germany is reworking the Migrationsberatung für erwachsene Zugewanderte (MBE), its federally funded counselling system for adult immigrants. The reform is intended to give the MBE a clearer profile, more clearly defined responsibilities and stronger integration into Germany's wider local counselling and integration system. The government is also looking at how to demonstrate the programme's impact, improve cooperation with municipalities and other counselling services, and use digital tools and AI appropriately. The MBE is not a new programme. It has existed for about 20 years and has developed from a service closely associated with integration-course support into a much broader social and migration counselling system. In 2025 alone, the MBE operated through 915 counselling facilities, handled approximately 240,559 counselling cases, and reached 431,799 people including family members. The 2026 reform therefore matters less because it creates an entirely new service and more because Germany is trying to redefine what the MBE should do, where its responsibilities begin and end, how it works with other services, and how its effectiveness should be demonstrated.

Who is affected by the latest change

Adult immigrants in Germany aged 28 and over
Individuals seeking advice on integration-related matters
People in the first three years after arrival in Germany

What changed in the latest version

Before

The Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) programme was a main counselling service for adult immigrants in Germany. It was for people aged 28 or older. It started in January 2005. It aimed to help people help themselves. It answered questions about residence law, language courses, recognising foreign qualifications, administrative matters, school and career, money, housing, family, and health. The programme worked across the country with over 1,200 counselling centres. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) managed its funding and organisation. Six main independent welfare organisations and the Federation of Expellees delivered the service.

After

The Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) programme has been fully changed. These changes aim to make its purpose clearer and its rules more precise. The duties of the counselling centres are now more clearly defined. This aims to improve links with other counselling programmes. It also aims to make it easier to move smoothly to local services, such as job centres. A key goal is to reach people in the first three years after they arrive in Germany. This is to make sure they connect quickly with regular services. Personal talks are still the most important factor for success. This is true even with plans to use digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help with organisation and provide information.

These changes mean that adult immigrants in Germany will get a more straightforward and better-connected counselling service. This is especially true for those within their first three years of arrival. The clearer duties for Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) centres should reduce overlap. It should also improve coordination with other local services. This will make it easier for immigrants to get the help they need quickly. For Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) counsellors and partner organisations, the changes mean they must adapt to new duties. They must also improve teamwork to ensure smooth referrals and joined-up support. This also shows a new strategy. It plans to use technology for some tasks. It also confirms that personal interaction is still vital for integration.

Explained simply

Imagine you've just moved to a new country and everything is new and confusing. Germany has a programme called MBE, which is like a helpful guide for adults who have moved there. This programme is now getting an upgrade. Before, it helped with many things, but now it's making its role super clear. It's like a specialised helper that makes sure you get connected to the right places for jobs, language classes, or other needs, especially in your first three years. The goal is to make it easier for you to find your way around and get settled quickly, by working better with all the other local support systems.

Frequently asked

Version history

v1Effective 9 Jun 2026AnnouncementMedium impact
Germany Reforms Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) with Sharpened Profile and Defined Tasks
Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) announced full changes for the Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) programme. The MBE helps adult immigrants who are 28 years old or older. The programme's purpose is now clearer, and its rules are more precise. The changes specifically aim to define tasks more clearly. They also aim to improve links with other counselling programmes. This will help people move smoothly to local regular services, such as job centres. A new goal is to reach immigrants within their first three years in Germany. Personal talks will still be the main part of the service. This is true even with plans to use digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Timeline

Announced
9 Jun 2026
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and umbrella organisations, has initiated comprehensive reform processes for the Migration Counseling for Adult Immigrants (MBE) programme in Germany. These reforms aim to sharpen the MBE's profile, clearly define its tasks, and enhance its connectivity with other counselling programme

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