Berlin's migrant workers speak out as housing costs soar and integration support shrinks

In a packed community hall on Kottbusser Damm in Kreuzberg, dozens of residents gathered this week to voice frustrations about Berlin's evolving relationship with its migrant population—a conversation increasingly urgent as housing costs climb and integration resources face cuts.

The meeting, organised by the Kreuzberg Integration Forum, heard from residents, business owners and social workers about a city transformed since the pandemic. Average rents in the district have risen 22% since 2023, according to local housing advocacy groups, pricing out many working families who arrived in recent years seeking stability.

"The city welcomed us, but now the welcome comes with a price tag most of us cannot afford," said one textile worker at the gathering, who has lived in the area for eight years. Workers from Turkey, Syria, Vietnam and Poland described competing for limited affordable housing stock while simultaneously facing reduced access to government-funded German language courses—a requirement for many employment pathways.

The Neukölln Adult Education Centre (VHS Neukölln) confirmed earlier this month that it had scaled back evening German classes from twelve weekly sessions to eight, citing budget pressures. Staff there report waiting lists now extending eight weeks for beginner courses.

Meanwhile, local business owners near the Mehringdamm U-Bahn station expressed a different concern: difficulty hiring skilled workers willing to accept wages in a tightening labour market. "We want to expand, but we cannot find people with the language skills and certifications we need," said one restaurant owner.

The tensions reflect broader questions facing Berlin as it positions itself as a global city. The Senate integration office reports that approximately 38% of Berlin's population has a migrant background—up from 33% a decade ago—yet integration budgets have remained relatively flat in nominal terms.

Community organisers are pushing for targeted responses. Groups including Kotti&Co, the Kreuzberg squatter collective-turned-advocacy-organisation, and the Multikulturelles Zentrum Neukölln are calling for a dedicated migrant housing fund and restoration of evening language classes.

"Berlin benefits enormously from its diversity," said one social worker interviewed for this article. "But you cannot expect integration to happen naturally when people are stressed about rent and cannot access the tools to succeed professionally. These are not separate issues—they are interconnected."

City officials have scheduled a consultation round with migrant community organisations in July to discuss revised integration strategies.

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