Background information

In September 2023, the Danish government and the social partners signed a tripartite agreement to extend and expand the Integration Basic Education (IGU) scheme until the end of 2027. Introduced in 2016, IGU combines paid internships, vocational training, and Danish language courses to support the integration to the labour market of refugees and migrants who arrived in the country via the reunification of family procedure. The reform responds to persistent labour shortages and aims to reduce benefit dependency by activating underutilised labour potential. It builds on several years of positive experience with the scheme and aligns with recommendations from the Reform Commission (May 2023). The updated scheme expands eligibility to include migrants aged 18–50 with up to 20 years of residence in Denmark and increases focus on sector-specific training and Danish language learning. A new funding mechanism supports companies in providing on-the-job language mentoring.

Content of measure

The IGU scheme is a two-year programme designed to support the labour market integration of refugees and migrants who arrived in the country via the reunification of family procedure (family-member migrants from now on). Participants enter a paid employment contract that combines on-the-job training with vocational education and Danish language learning. Eligibility was expanded in 2023 to include all refugees and family-member migrants aged 18–50 who have resided in Denmark for up to 20 years. The reform introduces sector-specific educational tracks, with predefined course content and enhanced integration of Danish language instruction. A dedicated fund has been established to support the inclusion of language training in the 23-week school-based component.

The agreement also strengthens the use of language mentors in the workplace by introducing a temporary subsidy (2024–2027) that enables companies to release employees from regular duties to support IGU participants with language learning. Employers receive a bonus of DKK 40,000 per IGU participant, paid in three installments over the two-year period. To manage the scheme, a cap of 1,500 new placements per year has been introduced. If the number of placements exceeds 1,200 by 1 September in a given year, the Minister must initiate dialogue with social partners and may temporarily suspend access to the scheme for up to three months.

Use of measure

Since the scheme’s inception in 2016, around 3,000 IGU agreements have been concluded. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and low asylum numbers, uptake declined in recent years. With the 2023 reform, a cap has been introduced limiting new IGU placements to 1,500 annually. All private companies participating are eligible for a DKK 40,000 bonus per participant. Uptake data under the revised framework is not yet available, but an evaluation is planned for the second half of 2026.

Contents

• Training and employability

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Unemployed	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations Company / Companies Other social actors (e.g. NGOs) Local / regional government	Companies National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The involvement of social partners was part of a formal tripartite process, initiated and led by the Danish government. Both employer organisations (e.g. Confederation of Danish Employers, DA) and trade unions (e.g. FH – Danish Trade Union Confederation) participated in the negotiations. Their involvement was not only consultative but resulted in a jointly agreed outcome, reflecting institutionalised social dialogue in Denmark. The partners contributed to shaping the updated IGU scheme, including changes to eligibility, training content, and language support. They are also involved in the monitoring phase: if registrations exceed 1,200 annually by 1 September, the Minister must consult the social partners. Furthermore, a joint working group with representatives from social partners is responsible for proposing the new sector-specific training tracks. Their continued involvement is expected in the forthcoming evaluation phase and in managing the implementation of language mentoring support.

Views and reactions

Both trade unions and employer organisations have expressed clear support for the extension and expansion of the IGU scheme. DA has described it as a “collection of the best tools” to integrate refugees and migrants, especially because it combines real work experience with targeted upskilling and language learning. FH emphasised the importance of strengthening the language component and welcomed the additional investment of DKK 23 million for Danish lessons. Local government representatives (e.g. KL) also voiced support, noting that municipalities and employers had positive prior experiences with IGU. There were no reported disagreements among the partners. The measure is broadly seen as a necessary step to improve labour market inclusion of migrants and support sectors facing labour shortages.

Sources

• 07 April 2025: Ny aftale skal få flere udlændinge i arbejde (uim.dk)
• 07 April 2025: L 82 Forslag til lov om ændring af lov om integrationsgrunduddannelse (igu) og lov om Arbejdsgivernes Uddannelsesbidrag. (www.ft.dk)
• 07 April 2025: Trepartsaftale om videreførelse og udvidelse af integrationsgrunduddannelse (igu) (uim.dk)