Immigrant Organisations – Political and Civil Society Partners (October 2018 – December 2020)

Immigrant organisations are important civil society actors in Germany. Their remit and their understanding of themselves now go well beyond merely supporting their ‟own” community. In the course of ongoing social and political changes this extremely heterogeneous organizational landscape is changing, too. New kinds of organisation are emerging due to the arrival of new migrants, and there is also a trend towards forming umbrella organisations and new types of immigrant organisations. However, there are serious gaps in research on the quantitative importance of these organisations, how they differ and what determines their approach to integration.

The SVR Research Unitʼs two-year study project aims to help close these research gaps. Its objectives are, first, to provide a quantitative overview of existing organisations and, second, to conduct a qualitative analysis of the changing landscape and the associated opportunities and risks. The goal is to draw up recommendations for action for policymakers, administration, interest groups and civil society, especially when it comes to optimising funding structures for immigrant organisations.

The project was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. Research results were published in December 2020.

Publication

Study (Summary)

Diverse activities – broad networks – partial integration? Migrants’ organisations as a creative force in society