Category / Migration research

Five years after Merkel’s famous words “We can do this,” there is clear evidence that refugees have been integrated successfully into many areas of German society. A good four out of ten people who arrived in Germany as refugees have found a job. Children and young people feel well integrated into their schools. At the same time, the proportion of the broader population that reports being “very worried” about immigration has declined. These findings from a study based on data from “Living in Germany” are summarized in a video by economist Katharina Spieß of DIW Berlin.

Further information

DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung): Refugees’ High Employment Expectations: Partially Met

All results in the overview…

Numerous integration projects were launched in a short period of time. Numerous integration projects were launched in a short period of time. Some of these were mentoring programs, which bring locals together with refugees to help them in dealing with bureaucratic formalities, hunting for apartments, and finding apprenticeships and jobs. To find out how successful these programs have been, sociologist Magdalena Krieger took a closer look at their outcomes using data from the survey “Living in Germany.”

She found that mentoring programs have helped refugees make substantial progress in improving their language skills. Refugees who have participated in these programs are also more likely to participate in social life—they go out to eat, to the movies, and to the gym more often. Magdalena Krieger expects these activities to have other positive effects, given that language skills and social activities may act as stepping stones to education and work.

The mentors surveyed also reported benefiting from their interaction with the refugees. A large percentage considered the refugees their friends and planned to continue helping refugees in the future.

Further information

Deutschlandfunk: Kaum Effekte auf Bildung und Erwerbstätigkeit

DIW Berlin (Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung): Mentoring programs support the integration of refugees

All results in the overview

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Refugees who have come to Germany in recent years are physically healthier than the national average and also correspondingly more satisfied overall. At the same time, however, their mental health is lower than the national average. This is especially true for refugees over the age of 45, as an analysis of data from the survey “Living in Germany” has shown.

According to the study, refugees who have arrived in Germany since 2013 are 32 years old on average and thus much younger and healthier than the average population. However, the risk of mental illness increases with age. “This may be due to traumatic experiences resulting from dislocation and war,” says social scientist Diana Schacht, who analyzed the data with her colleague Maria Metzing. Other factors could also have a negative impact on mental health, including separation from family, uncertainties about future prospects, and limited access to the German healthcare system.

Further information

DIW: Geflüchtete der letzten Jahre sind körperlich gesünder als die Gesamtbevölkerung

All results in the overview

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