Latest posts by Mirco Giannini and Hans Blokland (see all)
1. Background: Bureaucracy as a Barrier to Integration
Germany is one of the most bureaucratically complex countries in the world. Even for native speakers, dealing with government agencies, applications, and jurisdictional issues is a challenge—and even more so for refugees and migrants. Many of them come from countries with less formalized administrative structures, lack sufficient language skills, and are unfamiliar with the German government system.
The result: Applications are left unprocessed, benefits go unclaimed, and integration services go unused. This affects not only people living in their own homes but also residents of shared housing facilities, whose daily lives are significantly shaped by incomprehensible notices, deadlines, and forms.
2. The Burden on Social Services: Professionals at Their Limit
In refugee shelters, social workers spend a significant portion of their work time explaining and processing governmental paperwork. Actual social work—such as relationship-building, psychosocial support, or community-oriented integration—often falls by the wayside. Compounding this problem is the fact that many facilities are understaffed and have little systematic information about the skills, needs, or life circumstances of their residents.
Numerous studies—including those by Social Science Works (see the bibliography below)—show that in over 700,000 cases, integration in Germany is currently stuck in a state of bureaucratic gridlock. Frustration, a lack of prospects, and isolation are widespread. Yet the problem is not a lack of will—but a lack of functioning structures.
3. MayaCode & Social Science Works: A Digital Tool for More Humane Integration
MayaCode is an AI-powered platform for digitizing administrative and integration-related processes in refugee shelters—developed based on research findings from Social Science Works. Social Science Works gUG serves as the project’s lead organization; the technology is provided by technology partner MayaCode UG. Our goal: to systematically break down bureaucratic barriers, relieve the burden on professionals, and enable genuine participation—through technology that serves people.
At the heart of the project is “Maya”—a multilingual, speaking AI avatar that guides refugees through government processes in a conversational manner and in their own language. The voice-based interface makes the service easily accessible even to people with limited reading and writing skills—a key component of accessibility and genuine participation.
Ready-to-use features:
• AI avatar “Maya” – voice-based, conversational guidance through forms and procedures in the user’s native language
• Multilingual communication in over 50 languages, including simultaneous translation into German – for official correspondence, conversations, and digital forms
• Form-filling assistance – the AI helps users understand and complete common applications (e.g., Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Job Center, Social Services, health insurance, school and daycare registration)
• Onboarding & user profiling – structured, data-protection-compliant collection of relevant information (e.g., educational background, language skills, special needs)
Under development / being expanded:
• Dashboard for refugees – central overview of appointments, documents, and applications
• Language learning module – everyday communication (e.g., Arabic–German)
• Administrative dashboard for social services – case overview, team management, early warning system
• AI-powered matching – tailored placement in employment, education, and training
• Housing search – for refugees planning to move out
• Networking with civil society actors – digital connection of associations and initiatives
• Language tandems with locals – for active language practice in everyday life
5. Systemic Impact: Reduced Workload, Empowerment, Efficiency
The technology behind MayaCode addresses key challenges in integration work:
• Efficiency: Automation and assistance significantly reduce the time required for form processing
• Equal treatment: Consistent processes regardless of place of residence or the availability of individual social workers
• Transparency: Residents receive a clear overview of statuses and deadlines via their dashboard
• Humanity: Professionals can refocus on relationship-building and networking
• Community work: Systematic skill matching activates existing resources among residents
• Digital sovereignty: MayaCode is developed to be GDPR-compliant and hosted within the EU; its core is made available as an open-source digital public good under the EUPL v1.2—the European Commission’s open-source license. This allows public and civil society organizations to reuse the solution without being tied to a specific provider.
6. Current Status: Funding, Sponsorship, and Pilot
The project is led by Social Science Works gUG and is being implemented with funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration (BMAS). The launch of a pilot program in Berlin-Brandenburg—in collaboration with shelter providers and municipal partners—is scheduled for 2026/2027. As the technology partner, MayaCode UG is contributing the platform and providing the open-source core.
7. Why Now?
Demographic trends, the increase in global crises, and the shortage of skilled workers in Germany make a sustainable integration strategy indispensable. At the same time, municipalities, states, and service providers are reaching the limits of their capacity.
MayaCode is not an abstract vision, but a practical platform—modular, scalable, and compliant with data protection regulations. We are developing a digital infrastructure that meaningfully complements existing integration processes—with the goal of making them more practical for everyday use, more accessible, and more resource-efficient.
8. Our offer to politics and society
We seek dialogue and collaboration with policymakers, government agencies, social service organizations, housing providers, as well as potential partners, sponsors, and contributors—from the initial feedback through to joint implementation in additional locations. The goal is to continuously incorporate real-world experience into the further development of MayaCode and to bring the solution to where it is needed.
Literature
Blokland, Hans. 2024. Migrationspolitik auf der Flucht: Erfahrungen von Neuankömmlingen mit Untätigkeit, Trägheit und Gleichgültigkeit (Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag).
Blokland, Hans 2025. The failing integration of newcomers in Germany: can Artificial Intelligence help? Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Blokland, Hans. 2025. German bureaucracy in the integration of newcomers and how it can be reduced. Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Blokland, Hans 2025. Reform of the refugee shelter market: competition based on actual success indicators. Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Blokland, Hans. 2025. The Loneliness of Germans and their Refugees. Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Keeling, Laila, Anjali Zyla, Sahba Salehi, Yasmine Benyoussef, Genevieve Soucek, Nadia Lejaille, Hans Blokland, Noelle Wendling, Eline Sap. 2021 – 2026. Interviews with Refugees. Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Blokland, Hans und Mirjam Neebe. 2022. Wege aus dem Vakuum. Zukunftswerkstatt zur Integration Geflüchteter im ländlichen Raum. Potsdam: Social Science Works.
Blokland, Hans und Mirjam Neebe. 2021. Kein Plan, keine Hoffnung, keine Zukunft. Sackgassen für Flüchtlinge auf dem Lande. Potsdam: Social Science Works.