Abstract
Europe recently experienced a large influx of refugees, spurring much public debate about the admission and integration of refugees and migrants into society. Previous research based on cross-sectional data found that European citizens generally favour asylum seekers with high employability, severe vulnerabilities, and Christians over Muslims. These preferences and attitudes were found to be homogeneous across countries and socio-demographic groups. Here, we do not study the general acceptance of asylum seekers, but the acceptance of refugee and migrant homes in citizens’ vicinity and how it changes over time. Based on a repeated stated choice experiment on preferences for refugee and migrant homes, we show that the initially promoted “welcome culture” towards refugees in Germany was not reflected in the views of a majority of a sample of German citizens who rather disapproved refugee homes in their vicinity. Their preferences have not changed between November 2015, the peak of “welcome culture,” and November 2016, after political debates, media reporting and public discourse had shifted towards limiting admission of immigrants. A minority of one fifth of the sample population, who were initially rather approving of refugee and migrant homes being established in their vicinity, were more likely to change their preferences towards a rather disapproving position in 2016. Experience of contact with refugees and migrants, higher education, and general pro-immigration attitudes explain acceptance of refugee and migrant homes as well as preference stability over time. Country of origin and religion of refugees and migrants are considered less important than decent housing conditions and whether refugee and migrants arrive as families or single persons. In this respect our results highlight the importance of humanitarian aspects of sheltering and integration of refugees and other migrants into society.
Highlights
The term “welcome culture” (Willkommenskultur) is characteristic of Germany’s initial public discourse and official response to the hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving to the country in the wake of the Syrian civil war in 2015
Based on a repeated stated choice experiment on preferences for refugee and migrant homes, we show that the initially promoted “welcome culture” towards refugees in Germany was not reflected in the views of a majority of a sample of German citizens who rather disapproved refugee homes in their vicinity
The positive preferences for refugee and migrant homes of individuals assigned to the rather approving class in November 2015 are relatively unstable over time
Summary
The term “welcome culture” (Willkommenskultur) is characteristic of Germany’s initial public discourse and official response to the hundreds of thousands of refugees arriving to the country in the wake of the Syrian civil war in 2015. All other attributes reflect public debates in 2015 about how many immigrants “neighborhoods,” city districts and small towns can accommodate, whether families are preferred over single persons, what decent housing conditions are, and how close new homes should be built to residents. Because it was evident in 2015 that establishing new homes for refugees was the only option, an explicit opt-out alternative was not offered. Main country of origin and religion Number of persons Mainly families or single persons Type of home Distance form your house/flat I choose
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