All Publications

New Pathways, New Hurdles? The Reform of Citizenship Law and Potential Consequences for Authorities and Vulnerable Groups

Policy Brief | June 2024

On June 27, the act to modernize citizenship will come into effect. Along with significant liberalizations in naturalization, it also introduces stricter requirements. For example, the requirement for securing a livelihood will be enforced more strictly, and exceptions will be largely abolished. In light of these changes, the scientific staff of the SVR has examined the practical implications for both affected individuals and authorities.

The motives and motivation of volunteers in refugee assistance. Results of a survey on volunteer work

Study | April 2024

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to a surge in willingness to help those who fled to Germany. The scientific staff of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) conducted a survey on volunteer work to investigate the motives and attitudes of those who volunteer to support refugees. Based on that analysis the study discusses recommendations for future mobilisation strategies that are aimed at politicians and authorities at the municipal level as well as at employers, associations and civil society organisations at the local level.

Permanent residence, return or circular mobility? Options for Ukrainian war refugees after temporary protection

Study | January 2024

More than four million war refugees from Ukraine are currently living in the European Union, a quarter of them in Germany. In 2022, a temporary collective protection scheme was adopted by the European Union. It will expire in March 2025. The German and the other European governments have only one year left to make the necessary preparations for future regulations. The scientific staff of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) has therefore conducted a study to analyse what legal options are available for a continued stay of war refugees and how the legitimate interests of Ukraine, the current host countries and the refugees themselves can be taken into account through assisted return or circular mobility. The study provides recommendations both for policy-makers at European level and for the federal and state governments in Germany.

Police stops in Germany: People who look foreign are stopped more frequently

Policy Brief | November 2023

Discriminatory police practices such as racial profiling have been the subject of debate in Germany for a number of years – though without any reliable underlying statistics. The scientific staff of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) has now for the first time examined the link between perceived phenotypic difference and police stops in Germany based on data drawn from a national representative survey. The findings show that respondents who are perceived as foreign are stopped by the police around twice as frequently as those who are not.

The policy brief is based on an analysis of data taken from the SVR’s 2022 Integration Barometer. A total of 15,005 people with and without a migration background were surveyed between late November 2021 and early July 2022 for the fourth such national representative survey.

Selective Solidarity? What makes people willing to help refugees

Policy Brief | July 2023

Refugee migration to Germany increased significantly again in 2022. The number of asylum applications submitted by people from countries such as Syria or Afghanistan continued to rise, while from February 2022, refugees began to arrive in Germany as a result of the war in Ukraine. Against this backdrop, in the spring of 2023 the SVR Research Unit carried out a study to investigate whether the German population’s willingness to accept and support refugees varies in relation to different refugee groups.

The policy brief shows that help is especially likely to be offered to Ukrainian, Christian, highly educated women who intend to return home. However, there is a substantial willingness to support refugees in general. The difference in the willingness to help one group more than another is only marginal, and depends, too, on the personal characteristics of the respondents. Political attitudes, a feeling of political self-efficacy and trust in institutions are all particularly relevant for whether or not a respondent shows solidarity towards those seeking asylum. This means that local politics could have an important influence on behaviours; in areas where the local citizens feel that their needs are being addressed, this is likely to have a positive effect on solidarity with refugees.

The Policy Brief was funded by the Stiftung Mercator.

Precarious employment – precarious participation. Foreign workers in the German low-wage sector

Study | June 2023

Foreign workers have played an indispensable role in numerous sectors of the German economy for many years. This also applies to sectors in which precarious low-paid employment under harsh working conditions is often the rule rather than the exception. The SVR has carried out a qualitative interview study on the causes and effects of the precarious labour market conditions experienced by foreign workers. The study provides practice-oriented recommendations for action by government, business and civil society.

Living without a passport: The situation of stateless people in Germany

Policy Brief | May 2023

For most people, having a nationality is a matter of course. It links them to a particular state through a set of rights and obligations and gives them the protection of that state. People who are stateless or whose nationality is undetermined have correspondingly fewer rights. Especially in the context of refugee immigration since 2014, the phenomenon has gained in importance: in 2022, around 29,500 stateless persons and around 97,000 persons with an unclear nationality were living in Germany - twice as many as in 2014. Knowledge about these groups has so far been limited; they barely play a role in the public and political debate. This is despite the fact that they are a particularly vulnerable group and statelessness is considered internationally as undesirable.

The Policy Brief takes a first look at these groups and examines their socio-demographic composition as well as their legal situation in Germany. It shows that around one-third of those with an unclear nationality were already born in Germany; for the group of stateless persons, the number was 16 per cent. Two-thirds of the stateless persons and more than half of those with undetermined nationality have been living in Germany for more than six years; many have either only a temporary residence title or no residence title at all. Overall, it is clear that the barriers to recognition of statelessness are very high, as there is no transparent and systematic determination procedure.

The Policy Brief was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung.