Part of the game or just onlookers? Political participation and social engagement among people in Germany with migrations backgrounds

Study | December 2020

Migration has led to growing diversity in Germany. Migrants to Germany, like their children and grandchildren, are increasingly participating in central areas of society. But overall, people with a migration background are still less likely to become involved in political activities or engage with civil society than those without such a background. This is the key finding of a new study of the Expert Council’s Research Unit , which carried out an empirical investigation of how people with and without a migration background participate in society, based on current data from SVR’s Integration Barometer. The study highlights the factors which influence political participation and social engagement, and offers recommendations on how to increase participation among people with a migration background.

The study forms part of the BePart - Political Participation Starts at the Local Level! project, designed and delivered by Minor – Projektkontor für Bildung und Forschung. The project is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration and the Federal Agency for Civic Education.