Migrants In Germany Research Articles

Investigating interculturality in Germany by means of social identity, social distance, personality and xenophobia

ABSTRACT Due to the increasing need to understand integration processes and existing impediments, the present study investigated interculturality in Germany with N = 171Germans and Migrants in terms of social identity, personality, social distance as well as xenophobia and their relationship amongst each other. Results confirmed that openness and flexibility predict outgroup orientation for the total sample and the German subsample. However, this was not true for the subsample of migrants. Furthermore, within the German subsample, outgroup orientation had a decreasing influence on hostility towards foreigners and refugees, whereas national identity had an enhancing influence on xenophobia. Moreover, within the subsample of migrants, a decreasing influence of outgroup orientation on xenophobia was only confirmed towards foreigners. It was also shown that xenophobia has an enhancing influence on social distance within the total sample and the German subsample. For the subsample of migrants, this was not the case. Overall, the present study reveals the importance of personality traits regarding the success of migration in Germany through individual predispositions against foreigners that influence the process of integration. The results can be used to derive measures to support the integration, e.g., in the form of intercultural trainings.

Asymmetries in Transnational Social Protection: Perspectives of Migrants and Nonmigrants

This study investigates the extent to which migrants’ embeddedness in two formal social protection systems (country of origin and host country) influences the resources they exchange in their informal supportive relationships. I analyze the support networks of a matched sample of Turkish migrants in Germany and their significant others in Turkey to illuminate the conditions and meaning of reciprocal resource exchanges, finding that both migrants and nonmigrants perceive formal social protection offered by Germany as superior to that of Turkey. I show that those perceptions have implications for how financial support is exchanged with the family but have less impact on friendships. These implications for family included unequal power relationships, changes in equity among siblings and family, different valuation processes of resources, and thus, (reciprocal) exchanges.

Interventions to Increase the Reachability of Migrants in Germany With Health Interview Surveys: Mixed-Mode Feasibility Study.

BackgroundGermany is a popular destination for immigrants, and migration has increased in recent years. It is therefore important to collect reliable data on migrants’ health. The Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany, has launched the Improving Health Monitoring in Migrant Populations (IMIRA) project to sustainably integrate migrant populations into health monitoring in Germany.ObjectiveOne of IMIRA’s objectives is to implement a feasibility study (the IMIRA survey) that focuses on testing various interventions to increase the reachability of migrants with health interview surveys. Possible causes of nonresponse should be identified so as to increase participation in future surveys.MethodsThe survey target populations were Turkish, Polish, Romanian, Syrian, and Croatian migrants, who represent the biggest migrant groups living in Germany. We used probability sampling, using data from the registration offices in 2 states (Berlin and Brandenburg); we randomly selected 9068 persons by nationality in 7 sample points. We applied age (3 categories: 18-44, 45-64, and ≥65 years) and sex strata. Modes and methods used to test their usability were culturally sensitive materials, online questionnaires, telephone interviews, personal contact, and personal interviews, using multilingual materials and interviewers. To evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions, we used an intervention group (group A) and a control group (group B). There were also focus groups with the interviewers to get more information about the participants’ motivation. We used the European Health Interview Survey, with additional instruments on religious affiliation, experience of discrimination, and subjective social status. We evaluated results according to their final contact result (disposition code).ResultsWe collected data from January to May 2018 in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. The survey had an overall response rate of 15.88% (1190/7494). However, final disposition codes varied greatly with regard to citizenship. In addition to the quantitative results, interviewers reported in the focus groups a “feeling of connectedness” to the participants due to the multilingual interventions. The interviewers were particularly positive about the home visits, because “if you are standing at the front door, you will be let in for sure.”ConclusionsThe IMIRA survey appraised the usability of mixed-mode or mixed-method approaches among migrant groups with a probability sample in 2 German states. When conducting the survey, we were confronted with issues regarding the translation of the questionnaire, as well as the validity of some instruments in the survey languages. A major result was that personal face-to-face contact was the most effective intervention to recruit our participants. We will implement the findings in the upcoming health monitoring study at the Robert Koch Institute.

“What isn't in the files, isn't in the world”: Understanding state ignorance of irregular migration in Germany and the United Kingdom

AbstractWhile there is extensive literature on states and knowledge, there has been little focus on state ignorance: instances where states are identified as lacking knowledge relevant to addressing social problems. We present the first systematic analysis of how states perceive and respond to ignorance, developing a typology of responses (denial, resignation, and elucidation). We test and refine the typology through analyzing state ignorance of unauthorized migration in Germany and the UK, 1990–2006. Public authorities in both countries responded to ignorance through both denial and resignation. However, variations in control infrastructures and bureaucratic cultures meant that “resignation” took distinct forms. In the UK, pragmatism about the limitations of state capacity implied that officials were sanguine about their “ignorance,” with pressure emanating from external political scrutiny. In Germany, by contrast, officials faced an acute conflict between bureaucratic and legal norms of the rule of law, and constraints to enforcement. Both cases reveal profound state ambivalence about elucidating social problems over which they have limited control.

Post-Soviet migrants in Germany, transnational public spheres and Russian soft power

ABSTRACT When social networking sites based in authoritarian states expand transnationally, digital media environments create soft power resources for these states. Rather than being an intrusion into national cyber-spaces “from outside”, these communication networks are constructed by multiple actors, not all of whom are backed or coordinated by the authoritarian state. Diasporic actors are of special interest here. Using reposts as a direct measure of information flows on the Russian social network VKontakte(VK), this article reconstructs Russian-language networks of influence related to post-Soviet migrants in Germany. It shows that transnational communicative spaces evolve around collective resources related to these migrants by tracing how transnational and multidirectional content flow is organized between the post-Soviet space and Germany. Identifiable political sub-networks are found to be dominated by anti-liberal and anti-Western positions, ideologically and thematically compatible with official Russian state discourses. Right-wing radicals, another target audience of Russian soft power strategies in Europe, are shown to be interconnected with the publics of Russian-speakers in Germany and in the post-Soviet space. Communicative spaces on social networks are thus not purely metaphorical, but underpin the extraterritorial reach of authoritarian regime.

Migration and (Im)mobility: Biographical Experiences of Polish Migrants in Germany and Canada. By Anna Xymena Wieczorek. New York: Columbia University Press, 2018. Pp. 320. $45.00 (paper).

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsMigration and (Im)mobility: Biographical Experiences of Polish Migrants in Germany and Canada. By Anna Xymena Wieczorek. New York: Columbia University Press, 2018. Pp. 320. $45.00 (paper).Asad L. AsadAsad L. AsadStanford University Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 125, Number 4January 2020 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/706640 Views: 64Total views on this site For permission to reuse a book review printed in the American Journal of Sociology, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

МЕТАФОРИЧЕСКОЕ ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЕ КРИЗИСА ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ В НЕМЕЦКОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОМ ДИСКУРСЕ, ПОСВЯЩЕННОМ ПОСТСОВЕТСКИМ МИГРАНТАМ В ГЕРМАНИИ

The article concerns the ways of metaphoric representation of the identity crisis in German social discourse on post-Soviet migrants in Germany. In the contemporary West European society, the growth of migration processes and socio-cultural transformations makes the notion of migrants’ identity crisis highly relevant. The problem has acquired particular topicality in Germany during the recent years in terms of the prospects and challenges to successful integration of representatives of different migration streams. This article analyzes cognitive metaphors of the identity crisis among post-Soviet migrants. It studies in detail the historical and legislative preconditions that have led to the formation of this migrant community, as well as the specific features characterizing the development of this crises and how it is experienced within the community. The conclusion is made that the language follow-through and reflection on the migration processes are inevitably accompanied by the emergence and actualization of spatial metaphoric models connected with spatial boundaries and the location and movement of migration subjects within those boundaries. A metaphor is viewed in the framework of cognitive metaphor theory as a universal cognitive mechanism and an integral part of human conceptual and verbal systems involved in the perception and categorization activity. In the process of their unfolding, basic spatial metaphors acquire a well-developed network of corresponding secondary metaphoric nominations. The functioning of participial constructions has a special meaning in the composition of basic spatial metaphors: they emphasize the processual character of migration, the dynamics of migrants’ relocation and the manifestations of the identity crisis in the context of heterogeneous migration society.

Why Irregular Ghanaian and Nigerian Migrants in Germany fail to Return Home

Irregular migration continues to dominate discussions in Europe and America, due to the controversial nature of the means by which the migrants reach these destinations. Often, the expectation is that migrants denied asylum will return home. But given the human security concerns that drive them out of their countries and the perception of a better living in Europe, migrants find ways to remain in destination countries, even when their asylum requests are denied. Some flee migrant camps in order to escape removals and take up roles to earn a living in the informal economy with countrymen. This article argues that discussions of migration should take cognisance of the economic realities of African migrants.

Selectivity profiles of recently arrived refugees and labour migrants in Germany

Migrant selectivity refers to the idea that immigrants differ in certain characteristics from individuals who stay behind in their country of origin. In this article, we describe the selectivity profiles of recent migrants to Germany with respect to educational attainment, age and sex. We illustrate how refugees differ from labour migrants, and we compare the profiles of Syrian refugees who successfully completed the long journey to Europe to Syrian refugees who settled in neighbouring Lebanon or Jordan. We rely on destination-country data from the IAB-BAMF-GSOEP Survey of Refugees, the Arab Barometer, and the German Microcensus, as well as on a broad range of origin-country data sources. Regarding sex selectivity, males dominate among refugees in Germany, while among economic migrants, sex distributions are more balanced. Relative to their societies of origin, labour migrants are younger than refugees. At the same time, both types of migrants are drawn from the younger segments of their origin populations. In terms of educational attainment, many refugees compare rather poorly with average Germans’ attainment, but well when compared to their origin populations. The educational profiles for labour migrants are mixed. Finally, Syrians who settle in Germany are younger, more likely to be male and relatively better educated than Syrians migrating to Jordan or Lebanon.

An empirical–analytical approach to the study of recent refugee migrants in Germany

Given the recent surge in interest in refugee research, this editorial discusses whether the study of refugees’ migration and integration requires entirely new theoretical and methodological approaches. We make the case that refugee migration is a special type of migration and that refugee integration is subject to similar laws and regularities as the integration of all kinds of immigrants. Therefore, it should be studied using conventional theoretical and analytical approaches to empirical-analytical migration and integration research. Obviously, special conditions of refugee migration apply, such as specific patterns of refugees’ selectivity, health and resource endowment, settlement conditions, and reception or integration services. However, such peculiarities do not represent distinct mechanisms; they are simply background conditions for more general mechanisms. Contributions to this Special Issue, which all rely on new high-quality data from Germany, best highlight the universality of general mechanisms of immigrant integration, on the one hand, and the relevance of refugee migrants’ specific characteristics and conditions, on the other hand.

Contacts between Natives and Migrants in Germany: Perceptions of the Native Population since 1980 and an Examination of the Contact Hypotheses

For decades, migration to Germany has been a relevant social phenomenon resulting in an increasing share of foreigners and Germans with migration background in the German populace. Additionally, since 2015, Germany has experienced a substantial increase in the immigration of people seeking refuge and asylum from civil war, economic and environmental catastrophes, and other adverse living conditions. These developments can be assumed to have led to an increase in intergroup contact between Germans and foreigners. We investigate this phenomenon in a multifaceted fashion by combining a social indicator and monitoring approach using repeated cross-sections over time with a new panel approach using a short-time panel to study causal relations. As a first step, we descriptively analyze the development of intergroup contact experiences of the German population with foreigners in various areas of life using data from the ALLBUS survey collected over 36 years between 1980 and 2016. Specifically, we detail the diverging contact experiences of participants with and without migration background as well as participants in the former Eastern and Western part of Germany. In a second step, based on Allport’s intergroup contact theory that contact with outgroup members may improve attitudes towards these outgroups and other related findings, we examine the longitudinal processes between positive intergroup contact with foreigners and attitudes towards foreigners using four waves of the GESIS Panel collected over approximately one and a half years. We apply special rigor to these analyses by differentiating stable differences in intergroup contact experiences and attitudes between participants from within-person processes and discussing the implications of this differentiation.

Cognitive and Structural Social Capital as Predictors of Quality of Life for Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Germany

This paper assesses the structural links between Cognitive Social Capital (CSC), Structural Social Capital (SSC), and Quality of Life (QoL) among Sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrants in Germany. Data from 518 SSA migrants in Germany were analysed. QoL as measured by EUROHIS-QOL 8-item Index, CSC, and SSC were included in a Structural Equation Model performed with Analysis of Moment Structures and Maximum Likelihood as methods of estimation. The overall model fit was evaluated based on the Chi-Square Statistic (χ2), the Comparative Fit Index (CFI), the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and the Standardised Root Mean Squared Residual (SRMR). The structural model testing the direct effects of CSC and SSC on QoL had a good fit with χ2(47) = 157.60, p < .01, χ2/df = 3.35, CFI = .95; RMSEA = .07 (p = .007; 90% CI = .06/.08); and SRMR = .04 and explained 15% of the variance in QoL. Significant direct effects of CSC and SSC were found on QoL, with β = .27, p < .01 and β = .23, p < .01, respectively. Furthermore, multi-group analyses yielded no significant differences in the structural weights across genders (Δχ2(2) = 5.46, p = .07) or German language skill levels (Δχ2(2) = 2.27, p = .32). SSC and CSC are significant for facilitating quality of life among SSA migrants living in Germany. While these findings support results from previous research, they provide a unique insight into the life of SSA migrants in Germany and provoke more questions concerning the wellbeing of this migrant group.

Open flanks in the management of tuberculosis in Germany under the pressure of migration.

To prevent transmission is the ultimate goal of any TB control strategy. So far, asylum seekers/immigrants are only actively screened for TB after arrival in Germany, if admitted to mass accommodation facilities. The current TB control strategy in Germany is assessed by a SWOT-analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) including the impact of active case finding, environmental case finding (ECF) also known as contact tracing, passive case finding (PCF) and effective TB treatment. According to the number-needed-to-screen (NNS), asylum seekers from most countries and unaccompanied minors would have to be screened for active TB by a chest radiograph at entry independently of the type of accommodation. This would include children between 10 and 15years of age and a follow-up for at least 3 to 5years, with a denser follow-up in the first year. ECF and PCF only contribute little to a proactive reduction of the pre-patency period. The available data on the epidemiology and the NNS of TB in migrants are sufficient to come up with a more powerful control strategy for TB in migrants in Germany to close the existing open flanks. It is time for action.

Financial engagement of the Indian diaspora in Germany: Remitting to India

AbstractIndian nationals are a small but quickly growing migrant group in Germany that merits more research, especially related to remittance behaviour. Most of them are embedded in transnational networks; the remittances they send to India are an important way of expressing belonging, allowing the remitters to induce changes and fulfil traditional roles in spite of being physically absent. The findings presented in the paper's empirical section were collected with a mixed‐methods‐research approach. They are discussed against the background of the ongoing discourse on remittances and development. The idea of remittances as a better form of development aid is questioned.The article illuminates which types of remittances are important for Indian migrants in Germany, how the practice of remitting depends on the specific migration path, and how it differs between first and second generation. Analysis of the empirical results shows that seven types of remittances are relevant for Indian migrants in Germany. Individual remittances are more important than collective remittances, and parent support is the most important type of remittance. Charitable engagement within this group is highly individualised. The findings illustrate further how the remitting practices change over time—within life course and between generations.The results of this research show that as remittances for charitable reasons can only be considered as a highly personalised form of temporary engagement, it can be assumed that they hardly create sustainable structures. Individual remittances to family and friends, which are more important in this case study, do not necessarily result in desirable development.

CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL ASPECT OF THE LEGAL EXPERIMENT OF MIGRATION REGULATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND GERMANY

Purpose: The article is devoted to the study of the features of the migration policy implemented in the Russian Federation as a kind of legal experiment.&#x0D; Methodology: The methodological basis of the study was a set of the following methods of scientific knowledge – General scientific methods (analysis and synthesis), private scientific methods (formal legal and comparative legal).&#x0D; Result: The author analyzes normative acts, including by-laws of both the Russian Federation and its constituent territories. The analysis of the existing regulatory normative approaches to the regulation of migration in Germany is also given. At the same time, the author offers his vision of the possible implementation of German law in the Russian Federation.&#x0D; Applications: This research can be used for universities, teachers, and students.&#x0D; Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of Constitutional and Legal Aspect of the Legal Experiment of Migration Regulation in the Russian Federation and Germany is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.

Building bridges takes time: Views of healthcare professionals on health literacy and migration

Abstract Background Health literacy is an output of individual resources and capabilities, situational factors, environmental conditions, and the requirements of the health care system. As migration continues to increase globally, successful interaction between healthcare professionals and migrants can be important for a sustainable and resource-oriented promotion of health literacy. This study aims to explore challenges, needs and applied solutions of healthcare professionals in the interaction with migrants in Germany. Methods Five focus group discussions were conducted in Cologne, Germany. Participants were healthcare professionals (n = 30), including general practitioners, medical specialists in inpatient and outpatient care, and nurses. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by qualitative content analysis. Preliminary results Participants reported a lack of time and general uncertainty in dealing with the health literacy-related needs of the target population. Assumptions on discrimination through the health system and restrictive gender roles on the patients’ side were additional key challenges for a successful interaction. To bridge these barriers, some participants reported to invest time even beyond systemic conditions; most wished for professional interpreters or cultural mediators. Participants who themselves were migrants found this helpful for communicating information to patients and improving patients’ confidence in the recommended treatment. Using clinical staff as lay interpreters outside their own treatment situation was rated critical, as it can be associated with a considerable burden due to a further time restriction for their actual tasks. Conclusions Preliminary findings reveal that general problems in the health care setting (e.g. time pressure, ensuring patients’ compliance) can occur more intensively in migrant patients. Health professionals require support through the provision of state-funded professional interpreters. Key messages Health literacy related challenges become more visible in the context of migration and reveal general issues in the German health system that need to be solved for the benefit of the entire population. Research on health literacy in the context of migration is important in order to ensure the promotion and maintenance of health equally and effectively across populations.

Displaced Spanish men: Masculinity, sexuality, and migration in Hemos perdido el sol (1963), by Ángel María de Lera

This article analyzes the interconnections between masculinity and migration in the work Hemos perdido el sol, by Ángel María de Lera. The novel depicts the challenging experiences of Spanish migrants in Germany in the 1960s and the different conception of gender between Spanish and German cultures. The impact of migration on the main character’s masculinity is threefold. First, migration enhances his traditional sense of masculinity as he escapes poverty and subsequently feels more respected as a man when he achieves economic independence. Secondly, migration negatively affects his masculinity through the insecurities and discrimination he endures abroad. Lastly, although he adjusts his conventional male behavior at the beginning of his extramarital relationship with a German woman, his understanding of virility remains unaltered and he soon restores his traditional Spanish masculinity. The final message of the novel is that Spanish men’s relationships with German women are not meant to be successful due to cultural differences and divergent gender models.

Русскоязычные мигранты в Германии: связи со странами исхода и ориентация на возвращение

Русскоязычные мигранты в Германии: связи со странами исхода и ориентация на возвращение

Christian ethics and migration in Germany since 2015: a critical response to Robert Heimburger

Grounded in experiences in German migration policy since 2015, this article criticizes Robert Heimburger’s approach to migration due to its lack of theological distinctions.

Enacting biorelational citizenship in X-ray rooms and offices: on age assessments of migrants in Germany

ABSTRACTIn Germany, people categorised as ‘unaccompanied minor refugees’ have special rights, entitlements and possibilities. It is, for example, legally complicated to deport them. Since age is such a crucial marker of difference, the age statement of individual migrants is often scrutinised in their registration process through administrative, pedagogic and forensic practices. This ethnographic analysis of forensic age estimations in Hamburg, Germany, shows that one cannot simply read age from a young migrant’s bones. Rather, an individual’s age is enacted in a practice whereby age is not only dependent on a body, but also on the specific bureaucratic and scientific traditions, technologies and standards involved in assessing it. Thus, citizenship practices based on age not only draw on ‘the body’, but also – and more crucially – on varied scientific and bureaucratic practices. I propose the concept of ‘biorelational citizenship’ to grasp these shifting relationalities of the body in citizenship practices.