This paper analyzes the determinants of social and economic integration of Syrian refugees and the impact of social and integration on refugees’ decision to remain in Germany. Germany hosted almost 600,000 Syrian refugees between 2014 and 2016.
Social integration occurs when: (a) a migrant has values and norms from their country of origin; and (b) through exchanges and interactions with the host community. Assimilation occurs when the migrant abandons values and norms from their country of origin. Separation occurs when interactions are limited to the migrant’s own community.
The analysis draws on the 2016 IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey which collected information about refugees’ living conditions, educational status, vocational training, current occupational situations, language skills, family situations, biographies before displacement, social participation, link to their country of origin, and participation in integration programs. The authors focus on a subsample of 2,179 Syrian refugees in the working age population who have received an asylum status.
Social integration is proxied by an index composed of three variables, mixing subjective and objective measures of social integration: (1) the level of feeling like an outsider; (2) the number of German acquaintances; and (3) the possibility of using the internet, watching TV, or reading newspapers or books in German.
Main findings:
- Economic integration has an impact on social integration for low- and medium-educated refugees only. Overall, the impact of economic integration on social integration is not significant. However, there are positive impacts of economic integration on social integration for low-educated and medium-educated refugees.
- Educational attainment, having a child in Germany, number of acquaintances from other countries, language proficiency, and residence in refugee accommodation have a positive impact on social integration, while negative reciprocity and age have a negative effect. Refugees who have completed secondary education are more socially integrated than those who have completed only primary education, and refugees who have been educated abroad are also more likely to be socially integrated. Having a child in Germany increases social integration. The number of acquaintances from other countries increases social integration. Both English and German speaking proficiency have positive impacts on social integration. Additionally, residence in refugee accommodation has a positive effect on social integration. However, negative reciprocity (based on an index constructed using answers that respond to the degree of agreement about the statements such as: “If someone insults me, I will insult him.”) and age have negative effects on social integration.
- Being male, number of acquaintances from other countries, work experience and German proficiency have a positive effect on the chance of finding work, while being female, time since arrival, having at least one child in Germany, and ethnic enclaves have a negative effect. Males have a higher chance of working compared to females. The number of acquaintances from other countries has a positive impact on the probability of finding a job. Work experience matters for the probability of finding a job. German speaking proficiency is also beneficial for finding a job. However, the probability of finding a job decreases with time since arrival. People from Syria who have at least one child in Germany are less likely to work. Ethnic enclaves (measured by the number of Syrian acquaintances) decrease the probability of working. Educational attainment does not seem to significantly affect economic integration.
- Social integration affects the intention to stay in Germany, whereas economic integration does not. The employment status of refugees has an indirect impact on the intention to stay, through social integration, and for low- and medium-educated refugees only.
- Being single, higher levels of education, English proficiency, the number of daughters in Germany, and the number of acquaintances from other countries have a negative effect on the intention to stay. Being single decreases the intention to stay permanently in Germany. Higher educational attainment reduces intention to stay. Proficiency in English decreases the intention to stay in Germany. The number of daughters in Germany decreases the intention to stay, but there is no significant effect of the number of sons. The number of acquaintances from other countries decreases the intention to stay. Refugees who came in 2016 have a stronger intention to stay compared to those who came in 2015.
The authors conclude that, overall, economic integration may not be critical for the successful integration of refugees. This may reflect refugees’ different motives for migration and/or their traumatic experiences, which may make them more sensitive to the social integration dimension. However, for low- and medium-educated refugees, employment facilitates social integration and consequently has an indirect impact on the incentives to stay. For refugees with higher levels of education, economic integration does not have an impact on decisions to stay, and therefore more focus needs to be placed on social integration if the objective is to keep this category of refugees in the host country.