Annual Report

of the Expert Council

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.

Executive Summary - Download:

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

Germany's Transformation to a Modern Immigration Country.

Annual Report 2014 with Integration Barometer.

April 2014

The 2014 Annual Report looks at Germany’s transformation to a modern immigration country over the last five years and identifies a considerable need for action that still exists in some areas. While the results of the overall assessment of integration policy are mixed, and a lot still needs to be done to create equal opportunities for participation, the legal avenues for the immigration of highly skilled workers have been liberalised to a great extent. However, an overall migration policy strategy is still lacking. The Expert Council offers a number of recommendations for action to further develop Germany’s integration and migration policies.

Annual Report - Download:

The 9 core messages of the Annual Report
Annual Report 2014 - Press Release
Integration Barometer 2014 (Summary)

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.

Executive Summary - Download

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

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.

Executive Summary - Download

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

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.

Policy Brief - Download

European Refugee Policy: Pathways to Fairer Burden-Sharing.

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.

Executive Summary - Download

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

School Segregation in Germany: The Extent, The Effects and Recommended Actions for Better Educational Opportunities

Study | July 2013

Segregation is no longer a marginal phenomenon at German schools, especially in urban areas.
One of its negative consequences is to limit the educational opportunities open to many of the country's young migrants. Desegregation, however, cannot be forced top-down. Instead, a set of
targeted measures holds more promise of success. Based expert interviews as well as international school effectiveness and school improvement literature this study develops recommendations for segregated schools: a whole-school approach to language training, needs-based school funding and continuous teacher training dedicated to diversity.

 

Executive Summary - Download

School Segregation in Germany: The Extent, The Effects and Recommended Actions for Better Educational Opportunities.

Obstacle Course to Day Care: Why Parents with a Migration Background are Less Likely to Send Their Children to Day Care.

Policy Brief | June 2013

Children with a migration background are less likely to attend day care than children without a migration background. At the same time, children from immigrant families can benefit enormously from attending day care. The Policy Brief examines the obstacles which keep parents from sending their child to day care and provides recommendations for how access barriers can be eliminated. Germany’s current incentives such as the childcare allowance in particular that give parents an additional motivation to keep their children at home are counter-productive for integration.

Executive Summary - Download

Obstacle Course to Day Care: Why Parents with a Migration Background are Less Likely to Send Their Children to Day Care.

Europe as a successful model? Consequences and challenges for Germany posed by free movement within the EU.

Annual Report 2013 with Migration Barometer.

April 2013

The Annual Report focuses on internal EU migration. Germany has become a magnet for skilled migrants from the EU and benefits from the new upsurge in mobility in the EU. Even though freedom of movement in the EU has proven successful, there are also, however, obstacles to migration that contribute to an overall low level of internal migration. As a result, the overall conditions for mobility have to be further improved. The Expert Council recommends a National Migration Action Plan for Germany.

Annual Report - Download:

The 7 core messages of the Annual Report
Annual Report 2013 - Press Release
Migration Barometer 2013 (Summary)

Muslims in Germany: Media Portrayal and Everyday Experiences.

Policy Brief | March 2013

Political and media debates are often confined to the ‘failed integration of Muslims’, thus painting a negative picture. This Policy Brief analyses how the native and migrant populations assess the media image of Muslims, to what extent there are differences in the perceptions of these two groups and what the repercussions of the negative media image are on social cohesion. The Policy Brief provides models for actions, e.g. to increase media coverage on Muslims in their regular day-to-day lives outside of much-emphasized problem contexts. The Policy Brief is based on an in-depth analysis of data from SVR's 2012 Integration Barometer.

Executive Summary - Download

Muslims in Germany: Media Portrayal and Everyday Experiences.