Annual Report

Internationally Mobile. Motivations, Determining Factors and Impacts of the Emigration and Return Migration of German Citizens

Study | March 2015

For many years, more German citizens have been moving away from Germany than returning, among them many highly qualified professionals. A joint study by the Expert Council’s Research Unit, the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the University of Duisburg-Essen analyses what motivates emigrants and returnees to migrate. The study is broader in scale than ever before and spans all professional groups and qualification levels. The result is, that Germany is not currently experiencing a brain drain, but more of a 'brain circulation', i.e. emigration is usually not permanent: a large percentage of people who move abroad plan to return to Germany. International mobility should still be proactively managed to prevent a permanent loss of skilled workers and take advantage of the opportunities that mobility offers. The study identifies relevant fields of action for policymakers, the private sector and civil society.

Parents as Partners in Education: Successful Participation in Primary Schools

Study | December 2014

A constructive partnership between schools and parents plays an important role in the academic performance and educational success of pupils. As a result, primary schools already offer many forms of parent participation. As the study conducted by the Expert Council's Research Unit shows, all-day schools are more successful overall at involving parents with a migration background and socially disadvantaged families than half-day schools. However, many primary schools still do not offer parents educational opportunities. The recommendations outlined in the study identify the prerequisites for successful parent participation.

How Many Muslims Live in Germany? Patterns in Estimates from People With and Without a Migration Background

To The Point | November 2014

(Only available in German)

How much do people living in Germany know about the country’s Muslim population? This issue of the Research Unit’s To The Point analyses one facet of what people know about Muslims based on an analysis of the 2014 SVR Integration Barometer: how many Muslims live in Germany? The analysis shows that around 70 per cent of respondents overestimate, in some cases significantly, the number of Muslims living in Germany. Nearly one-third of those surveyed estimated the number to be higher than 10 million – although the actual figure is only around 4 million. Key factors in the accuracy of the estimate were the respondent's gender and level of education: women's estimates were much higher than men's regardless of the group of origin. People with upper secondary education (Abitur) were closer in their estimates to the actual figure than people with lower secondary education (Hauptschule).

Cultural Diversity, Intercultural Openness and Experiences of Discrimination in Berlin. Expertise for the Representative of the Berlin Senate for Integration and Migration.

Expertise | Juni 2014

(Only available in German)

How do different sections of the Berlin public view integration in public schools, the civil service and other areas of public life? The study was published by the Representative of the Berlin Senate for Integration and Migration. It is based on data from SVR’s 2014 Integration Barometer, which surveyed the immigrant and native populations about the same issues.
The analysis shows that people in Berlin are more sensitive to diversity and diversity-related conflicts than those in other parts of Germany. They are sceptical about some issues relating to integration, but also demand that greater efforts are made by policy makers with regard to integration policies and anti-discrimination activities.

Day Care Centres Building Bridges. Interculturally Oriented Parental Education in the Immigration Society.

Study | June 2014

Parents bear a large responsibility for the educational success of their children in the German education system. But the range of educational and advisory services at day care centres in Germany is often not adapted to the cultural diversity of the families or don't reach immigrant families at all – this is shown by an analysis of the Expert Council's Research Unit. The study identifies the overall conditions that would encourage interculturally oriented parental education in German day care facilities and recommends, among other things, continuous training for educators as well as the formation of partnerships with migrant organisations and other local actors.

Discrimination on the Training Market: Extent, Causes and Recommended Actions.

Study | March 2014

Young people with a migration background have much worse odds of securing a training position even with the same qualifications. This is shown by a national correspondence test, which was conducted by the Expert Council's Research Unit as part of this study. The study examines the mechanisms of discrimination and issues recommendations for how companies, schools, civil society and policymakers can foster equal opportunity on the training market. One of the key issues is how diversity is handled in training companies which can be furthered by offering a "Cross-Cultural Skills" module in the professional qualification for trainers.

Immigrant Organisations and Cooperative Work with Parents: Potential, Structural Conditions, Development Opportunities.

Policy Brief | February 2014

Migrant organisations are important actors in non-school education because they act as intermediaries between educational institutions and parents with a migration background. Their potential, however, is not nearly fully exploited. The Policy Brief provides an overview of the structure of migrant organisations and their role in cooperative work with parents. It identifies overall conditions and approaches to further develop cooperative work with parents and recommends, among other things, strengthening the role of migrant organisations as providers of standard educational services.

European Refugee Policy: Pathways to Fairer Burden-Sharing.

Policy Brief | November 2013

The number of asylum-seekers in the EU is on the rise. This Policy Brief shows that several member states have seen a greater influx of refugees than others and that the EU is still far from offering a uniform protection level in all member states. The challenges of a common asylum policy are identified and it is shown that the EU lacks a mechanism for more equitable distribution of asylum-seekers across member states. The multi-factor model for fair burden sharing developed by the Expert Council’s Research Unit and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik - SWP) is presented as a solution. It takes into account economic strength, population, size of territory and unemployment rate of the EU member states and allows for a calculation of fair reception quotas for every country.

New Voters for the Bundestag: Potential Turnout Among Third Party Nationals in General Elections.

Policy Brief | August 2013

Immigrants from non-EU countries (third countries) living in Germany have enormous untapped potential as voters in the federal elections - one reason is that voting rights are tied to naturalisation. Do third party nationals want to participate politically and where is there need for action to increase their political participation? Based on an in-depth analysis of data from the Immigrant Citizens Survey, this Policy Brief analyses the interest of third country nationals in voting, their interest in naturalisation and their desire for parliamentary representation. The Expert Council’s Research Unit recommends a stronger push for naturalisation and greater emphasis on citizenship and voting rights.