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Expert Council

‘Who’s in charge here?’ Federal associations of migrant organisations: a navigation aid

Study | November 2024

There are currently 36 federal associations of migrant organisations (MO associations for short) in Germany, which are diverse in terms of content and structure. The SVR's scientific staff has now presented a new study that systematises this diversity and develops a typology of MO associations active at federal level. Under the title ‘Who’s in charge here? Federal associations of migrant organisations: a navigation aid’, the study provides an overview of how the profiles of the individual types of MO associations differ and for which forms of political consultation and cooperation they are particularly recommended.

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‘Who’s in charge here?’ Federal associations of migrant organisations: a navigation aid

Arrived and transnationally connected: Afghan immigrants in Germany

Study | October 2024

The number of Afghans living in Germany has increased significantly over the last decade as a result of refugee arrivals. Many are still at the beginning of their integration process, but given the situation in Afghanistan, it is likely that they will remain in Germany for the long run. At the same time, they maintain transnational connections to their country of origin. As part of the research project “Transnational Networks and Civil Society Activities in the Context of Forced Migration: Afghan and Syrian Communities in Germany”, the SVR's scientific staff researched the experiences of Afghan immigrants in Germany: How have they settled in Germany? What challenges do they face? What do their social networks in Germany look like and what connections do they have to Afghanistan?

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Arrived and transnationally connected: Afghan immigrants in Germany (Summary in English)
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Refugee country as a new home: Naturalisation of refugees after the reform of German citizenship law

Policy Brief | September 2024

What experiences do refugees have with naturalisation? How does this affect their further integration and participation in society? What opportunities and hurdles does the reform of citizenship law, which came into force on 27 June 2024, present? These and other questions are the focus of the research project ‘Naturalisation as an “integration booster” for refugees’ by the SVR's scientific staff. The background to this is also the current naturalisation boom: a new high of over 200,000 naturalisations was reached in 2023. This increase is primarily due to refugees, who increasingly fulfil the criteria for naturalisation and show a particularly high level of interest in becoming naturalised compared to other immigrants. The project is funded by Stiftung Mercator and will run until 2026. An initial policy brief summarises the existing knowledge and identifies gaps in research.

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Refugee country as a new home: Naturalisation of refugees after the reform of German citizenship law

No passport. Nowhere? Political, legal and administrative approaches in dealing with statelessness

Study | June 2024

The number of people living in Germany without or with an undetermined nationality has increased significantly in recent years. In Germany, the authorities responsible for implementing residence and nationality law are key actors in determining statelessness. Their decisions determine the legal status and life of those affected. However, there are no systematic findings to date on the decision-making practices of German immigration authorities in the context of statelessness; the administration is described as a 'black box'. The scientific staff of the SVR therefore conducted a study to analyse how statelessness is determined in practice by the authorities, who is considered stateless, what scope for discretion exists and what challenges authorities face. The study provides policy recommendations at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.

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No passport. Nowhere? Political, legal and administrative approaches in dealing with statelessness

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.

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

Continuity or paradigm shift? Integration and migration policy in recent years

Annual Report | July 2024

Developments in migration and integration policies over the last five years have been characterised by very high numbers of people seeking protection and the pressures this entails, a growing need for labour from third countries and an intensification of political debates and proliferation of proposed solutions. German legislators and the responsible public authorities have responded with numerous measures. Efforts to reform the Common European Asylum System, which had been stuck for years, finally resulted in agreement at European Union level.

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SVR-Annual Report 2024 (Summary)
The 10 Core Messages of the Annual Report

Press Release

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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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    Police stops and racial profiling. Evidence from the SVR Integration Barometer

      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.

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      Selective Solidarity? What makes people willing to help refugees