SOEP Research: Migration and Integration

Refugees are feeling increasingly unwelcome and becoming more concerned about xenophobia

Asylum Seekers and Host Country Mental Health: Evidence from Germany and Switzerland

Due to recent conflicts and humanitarian issues, millions of people have sought asylum in countries in Europe. The influx of asylum seekers has sparked debates about the impacts of such migratory flows on resident populations. We study how the recent migration of these forcibly displaced people into Europe affects the mental health of the receiving country residents in Switzerland and Germany. We exploit ...

Living Conditions and Participation of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany:: Findings from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees ; Research Report 51

Immigration, Segregation, and Attitudes Toward Immigrants: A Longitudinal Multiscalar Analysis across Egohoods

Evidence on how proximity to ethnic outgroups shapes attitudes toward immigration remains inconclusive. We suggest this may be driven, in part, by the fact that studies rarely account for the role of residential segregation. We argue that how the minority-share in an environment affects majority-group attitudes will depend on how segregated groups are from one another. To explore this, we undertake ...

Unequal Returns? Wealth and Debt Gradients in Health Among Immigrants and Natives in Norway

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is positively associated with health, but these benefits are not equally shared across groups. The Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) framework posits that marginalized groups derive weaker health returns from economic resources than majority populations. Extending this framework to a migration context, this study examines wealth - and debt – health gradients ...

Mothers’ Living Conditions Shape Health and Early Development, While Refugee Experience Has Little Impact

Around 200,000 children were born to refugees in Germany between 2014 and 2022. This Weekly Report investigates how the health and development of children born in Germany to refugees are affected by their parent’s experience of being a refugee. An analysis using representative data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and data from the IAB-BAMFSOEP Survey of Refugees shows that there are no significant ...

Pre- and Post-Migration Determinants of Self-Rated Health Among Ukrainian Refugees In Germany: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Analysis with Recently Arrived Refugees from Other Countries of Origin

6.5 million Ukrainian refugees have been displaced globally since 2022, with one million who registered for temporary protection in Germany under the EU Tempo¬rary Protection Directive. Unlike other refugee groups, they were granted immediate access to social security and health care. However, little is known about the differences in health determinants for individuals arriving under the EU Temporary ...

The maternal living situation is more closely reflected in the development of their children born in Germany than their experience of being a refugee

Perceived Discrimination Among Migrants in Germany: Does Social Capital Moderate Harmful Effects on Mental Health?

Background The harmful mental health effects of perceived discrimination for migrant populations are well established. The potential buffering effect of regional-level social capital, however, has not previously been explored. Methods Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP; 2009–2018) we apply multilevel models to assess the effect of frequent or infrequent perceived discrimination on ...

Collecting Longitudinal Data among Newly Arriving Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Germany: Experiences from A Pilot Study at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic