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Proximity to Refugee Accommodations Does not Affect Locals’ Attitudes toward Refugees: Evidence from Germany

With the so-called 'long summer of migration' of 2015, there was an urgent need to accommodate many refugees in Germany. This situation was framed as a 'refugee reception crisis', and it revealed diametrically opposed stances within German society. Within this debate, anti-refugee sentiment is often explained with the placement of nearby refugee reception facilities. Conclusive evidence of this claim ...

Ukrainian refugees: Nearly half intend to stay in Germany in the longer term

Second survey wave of around 7,000 Ukrainians on their life situations and progress in social participation For the second time, Ukrainians who fled because of the Russian war of aggression were interviewed about their life in Germany. Key results are: At the beginning of 2023, almost half of the respondents intend to stay in Germany in the longer term. The number of people in employment has increased ...

The Political Economy of Emigration and Immigration

International migration emerges as an important driver of globalization since migrants play a salient role in diffusing international norms and practices across borders. Through a variety of channels migrants are capable of encouraging democratic behavior back in their countries of origin. On the other hand, immigration is commonly at the forefront of political debates in hosting economies of migrants, ...

Local far-right demonstrations and nationwide public attitudes

One of the primary objectives of protests and demonstrations is to bring social, political, or economic issues to the attention of politicians and the wider population. While protests can have a mobilizing and persuading effect, they may reduce support for their cause if turned disruptive or disorganised. In this study, we look at how local or spontaneously organized far-right and xenophobic...

High-profile crime and perceived public safety: evidence from Cologne's New Year's Eve in 2015

joint with Alexander Schmidt-Catran, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt This study analyses the impact of a high-profile crime event on perceived public safety. At the 2015 New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne (NYE), Germany, refugees allegedly committed thousands of crimes, ranging from theft to sexual assault. The widespread media coverage of these incidents has made a shift in the publics’...

Extended Restrictions to Health Care Entitlements for Refugees: Negative Health Consequences Without the Anticipated Savings

Refugees have limited health care entitlements during the asylum process. In February 2024, the maximum length of this exclusion period was increased from 18 to 36 months. This increase may double the actual waiting time, which is currently already more than one year, as data from the Socio-Economic Panel show. This particularly affects refugees with a low level of education and little knowledge of ...

Restricted healthcare puts a strain on refugees and society

Establishing a Probability Sample in a Crisis Context: The Example of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany in 2022

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, more than one million refugees have arrived in Germany. These Ukrainian refugees differ in many aspects from Germany’s past forced migration experiences and there exists an urgent need for sound data and information for politics, practitioners, and academics. In response, the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP study was established to provide high-quality ...

Exploring Contextual Effects of Post-migration Housing Environment on Mental Health of Asylum Seekers and Refugees: A Crosssectional, Population-Based, Multi-Level Analysis in a German Federal State

Asylum seekers and refugees (ASR) in Germany are dispersed quasi-randomly to state provided,collective accommodation centres. We aimed to analyse contextual effects of post-migration housing environment on their mental health. We drew a balanced random sample of 54 from 1 938 accommodation centres with 70 634 ASR in Germany’s 3rd largest federal state. Individual-level data on depression and anxiety ...

Utilisation of Dental Services by Refugees in Germany: Results of the Population-Based RESPOND Survey

Background: The utilisation of outpatient dental services is an important indicator for monitoring healthcare provision in Germany. In the general population, the 12-month prevalence of dental service utilization is 82.2%. For refugees, this indicator has hardly been measured, although studies suggest an objectively high need for dental care. Methodology: As part of the population-based cross-sectional ...