Setback in labour market integration due to the Covid-19 crisis? An explorative insight on forced migrants’ vulnerability in Germany

Abstract

ABSTRACT In Germany as elsewhere, the Covid-19 pandemic has provoked a severe crisis for the economy, the labour market, social life and public administration. This article explores how refugees, who have accessed the labour market prior to the crisis, are affected by the current situation. Focusing on the crisis-shaken labour market as a juncture for integration processes, we were interested in whether the crisis actually increases vulnerability and leads to setbacks in integration processes. Based on qualitative interviews with refugees and employers conducted at the beginning of the crisis, the article identifies three problem areas in the field of working life (every day working life, conditions of work, prospects and the advancement of careers) in which the crisis-induced disruptions produced feelings of disorientation and made some refugees vulnerable. This went hand in hand with irritations in adaptation processes that are crucial for integration. The findings suggest that the Covid-19 crisis could, for some, turn into a ‘critical event’ in entire integration trajectories.