Council of State rules against fines and loan repayments for asylum seekers in civic integration cases
A landmark ruling by the Council of State waives fines and loan repayments for asylum status holders who failed to complete civic integration on time. This decision could impact thousands, as the government reviews similar cases following EU court guidance.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Ruling Body | Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State (RvS) |
| Date of Ruling | February 18, 2026 |
| Affected Individual | Asylum status holder fined in 2019 for missing civic integration deadline |
| Fine and Loan Status | Fine waived; loan repayment canceled |
| Legal Basis | CJEU and RvS rulings (2025) on EU regulations |
| Ministry Response | Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) studying implications |
| Policy Change Since March 2023 | Collection of fines and loan repayments paused for asylum status holders |
| Applicable Laws | Civic Integration Act 2013 and 2021 |
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) oversees civic integration policies, including fines and loans for asylum status holders. The Council of State, as the highest administrative court, ensures these policies comply with national and European regulations, often reviewing government decisions for fairness and legality.
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Read the full translated article below
Ruling by the Council of State on fines and loans for civic integration
News item | 02-19-2026 | 16:11
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) should have reconsidered a previous decision to impose a fine and reclaim a loan from an asylum status holder required to complete civic integration. This is the ruling of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State (RvS) in a judgment dated February 18, 2026. The SZW is now studying the ruling.
The asylum status holder had not completed the civic integration program within the statutory deadline. As a result, she was fined in 2019 and required to repay the loan for her integration. The woman appealed to the RvS in 2024.
In the proceedings, reference was made to recent rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the RvS from 2025. According to these rulings, systematically imposing fines for failing to meet the civic integration requirement for asylum status holders is incompatible with European regulations. The same applies to reclaiming loans. The RvS has now determined that these rulings also affect previously imposed and final decisions on fines and loan repayments under the Civic Integration Act 2013. The Council also ruled that the fine imposed on this asylum status holder is waived and that she does not have to repay the loan.
Follow-up
The ruling states that it is up to the SZW to determine what this ruling means for other cases in which a fine was imposed or in which loan repayment was required. The ministry is studying the RvS ruling and its implications.
The SZW had already paused the collection of fines and loan repayments from asylum status holders since March 2023. At that time, the RvS had asked the CJEU about the fine and loan policy under the Civic Integration Act 2013. Following the RvS ruling in July 2025, the imposition of fines on asylum status holders for exceeding the deadline under the Civic Integration Act 2013 and Civic Integration Act 2021 has been discontinued. Additionally, under the Civic Integration Act 2013, the reclaiming of loans from asylum status holders has also been halted.