Position Paper | March 2018
Position Paper by the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration: On the Government´s Coalition Agreement (7 February 2018)
Study | March 2018
Since 2015, German schools have taken on approximately 130,000 young refugees as students. Many of them, especially in the major cities, attend what are known as "segregated schools", where most of the pupils come from socially disadvantaged homes and have migration backgrounds. To find out more about the learning experience of refugees in the German education system, the SVR Research Unit carried out a study of how students are typically assigned to schools. The study took the form of interviews with teachers at 56 selected secondary schools, all of which could be described as "segregated", in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Hesse, Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. The teachers, who had trained with the not-for-profit educational organisation Teach First Deutschland, were asked questions relating to the ways in which students are allocated to schools, school-internal segregation and their experiences teaching young refugees. Based on the findings from this study, the SVR Research Unit has now drawn up recommendations for action to promote the educational integration of young refugees. The study was funded by the Stiftung Mercator.
Policy Brief | January 2018
The Policy Brief examines the subjectively perceived discrimination of migrants based on the extensive data contained in the SVR’s 2016 Integration Barometer. Forms and areas of discrimination are investigated, as is the link between discrimination and phenotypic differences. Analysis of the data reveals that people whose appearance marks them out as having a migration background feel they are discriminated against much more frequently than migrants who cannot be told apart from the native population. Differences between various groups of origin and members of different religions are also examined.
Study | December 2017
For years, Germany has been one of the most popular countries worldwide for studying abroad. In 2016, more than 250,000 international students were enrolled at a German university. From a political and business perspective, they are regarded as “ideal immigrants” for the German labour market, and a large proportion of them in fact wish to stay in Germany upon completing their studies. However, despite generous residence arrangements, these international students are often unable to make the transition into the labour market. The project Study & Work of the SVR Research Unit performed a – first-ever – longitudinal study of international students’ transition from university to the German labour market. The study shows which factors favour international students’ career entry and provides recommendations for how stakeholders from universities, business, the local level and the labour market could assist them. The study was funded by the Stifterverband.
Study | November 2017
In Germany, there is still a lack of reliable knowledge about the life situations of refugees, especially the type of knowledge that considers the views of refugees. However, such a perspective is important in order to improve the asylum system and tailor integration and participation measures. This is where this study comes in: In qualitative interviews, adult asylum seekers were interviewed who did not yet have a secure residence status in Germany. The study analyzes the refugees’ views of their place of residence, access to work and training and education opportunities, encounters and contact with the local population, as well as their subjective perception of the classification of asylum seekers according to their prospect to stay. The study also shows which topics refugees raised on their own. It issues recommendations for decision-makers from the German federal government, the federal states (Bundesländer) and local authorities, for non-governmental refugee workers as well as civil society initiatives and volunteer work, and for representatives from business. The study forms the conclusion of a research project that examined the perspectives of refugees of their life situations in Germany (Von der Aufnahme zu gesellschaftlicher Teilhabe: Die Perspektive der Flüchtlinge auf ihre Lebenslagen in Deutschland – From Arrival to Participation in Society: How Refugees View Their Lives in Germany), which was carried out jointly by the SVR Research Unit and the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
Policy Brief | October 2017
Integration is a topic of hot debate at the federal level; yet it is the states and local authorities (Länder and Kommunen) that are responsible for many of its key aspects. Four of Germany’s 16 federal states have passed their own integration acts in recent years. The policy brief examines the acts passed by the states of Berlin (2010), North Rhine-Westphalia (2012), Baden-Württemberg (2015) and Bavaria (2016). The brief’s main conclusion: With their respective acts, the Bundesländer are underscoring the importance of integration policy, and setting the framework conditions for the latter. Integration acts at the state level can guide integration policy by creating or strengthening structures for coordination and cooperation. However, their ultimate impact will be determined not only by their specific legal arrangements but also by their implementation in practice. Ultimately, acts and laws can guarantee neither an appropriate integration policy nor improved opportunities for participation. The policy brief was funded by Stiftung Mercator.
SVR Report | August 2017
Good reporting on the state of social participation of people with a migration background is needed to draw conclusions about integration policy. While individual municipalities played a pioneering role early on, the German federal government and federal states (Länder) have now also established integration monitoring systems. The SVR Report looks at the existing systems in Germany as well as the respective procedure at European level.
Study | May 2017
German universities are still struggling with ethnic diversity. More than four out of ten international students drop out of German universities without completing a degree. The dropout rate of first- and second-generation migrants in Germany is also higher than average. An analysis of the Expert Council's Research Unit shows both groups struggle more often than their native counterparts with linguistic, technical and financial difficulties as well as social isolation. The study presents recommendations for universities, on how to better support students to reach their full potential.
April 2017
In its 2017 Annual Report, the Expert Council outlines proposals for further development of EU refugee policy that aim to redistribute responsibilities within the EU. One core element for the fair distribution of refugees are EU-wide rights of free movement that refugees could be granted under certain conditions. This year’s report also deals with possibilities and limits in the cooperation with transit countries and countries of initial reception, including the EU-Turkey Statement. In a second part, the SVR analyses the new regulations to integrate refugees in Germany, mainly in the areas of housing, education and the labour market as well the communication of values. The SVR describes the need for action that still exists for policymakers and presents concrete recommendations.
