SVR Municipal Panel (January 2026 – February 2028)

Integration takes place primarily at the local level – in municipalities. This is where migration and integration policy are implemented and given concrete form through the municipalities’ own scope for action. However, there is currently no systematic, reliable data basis that reveals developments, challenges, and scope for action at the municipal level. This is where the planned SVR Municipal Panel comes in.

A pilot project aims to establish a regular survey of municipalities in Germany. The aim is to develop a robust, empirically based instrument that continuously records migration and integration-related developments at the local level. The panel enables systematic monitoring of key indicators, highlights changes over time, and creates the basis for evidence-based policy recommendations.

The SVR Municipal Panel, funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation, thus makes a twofold contribution: It strengthens the basis for decision-making by local authorities by enabling comparisons with similar local authorities and supports the federal and state governments in better assessing the consequences of migration and integration policies. Its panel structure also makes it possible to analyze developments in integration policy not only in situational terms, but also over time. The pilot project to establish the panel is being carried out in close cooperation with relevant stakeholder groups. These include national associations of local authorities, local, regional and federal administrations, associations, migrant organisations and academia.

Contact persons
Neele Eilers
Researcher
Phone: +49 30. 288 86 59 – 30
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Alex Wittlif
Researcher
Phone: +49 30 288 86 59 – 31
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Dr Fabian Gülzau
Researcher and Deputy Head of the Research Unit
Phone: +49 30 288 86 59 – 23
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Dr Jan Schneider
Head of Research Unit
Phone: +49 30 288 86 59 – 22
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