Regional offices
Through its decentralized structure and its nationwide network of 23 regional offices, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is represented in all federal Länder and is in direct contact with all those involved in integration issues.
The main work of staff in the regional offices, local regional co-ordinators (ReKo) and team assistants, is to inform and advise local foreign affairs offices, course providers, local authorities, employment agencies, social and youth authorities and other bodies with integration responsibilities (foreign affairs commissioners, governments of the Länder, local administration, independent welfare foundations, trade unions, churches, etc.), in all questions regarding the federally-funded integration measures.
The regional co-ordinators are involved in all areas of the Federal Office's integration work and have developed to become important integration service providers in their respective regions. Through visits to integration courses, initial advisory services, funded projects and courses for women, they ensure that the standards developed by the Federal Office are met. Further responsibilities of regional office staff are:
- The processing of applications from EU citizens and foreigners, who obtained a residence permit before 1st January 2005 and wish to attend an integration cours
- To work together with course providers, employment agencies, local foreign affairs offices, initial advisory services and local authorities
- To carry out the authorisation of integration course providers
- To advise and carry out in-house checks of initial advisory service centres, community-oriented projects and courses for women
- The organization and implementation of information events, meetings, discussions, etc.
A further essential task of regional office staff is the local co-ordination of the varied integration measures. Furthermore, they act increasingly as a driving force in the initiatiation, design and development of supplementary measures for integration courses.
