Study: Integration: Asylum seekers and refugees want more help

Almost all asylum seekers and recognized refugees believe they need more support to find their way in Germany. This is the result of a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). For this purpose, refugees who had arrived between 2013 and 2016 were surveyed in several survey waves between 2016 and 2020.

When asked about five different areas of integration, 98 percent of them said they needed more help in at least one of these areas. 91 percent of those surveyed would like more help when learning the German language. According to the study, 82 percent lacked support in accessing health care. 69 percent of immigrants said they needed more help with asylum and refugee issues.

The majority would like more support when looking for a job

According to the information, 62 percent of the participants in the representative long-term study identified deficits when it came to support in looking for work. Around one in two people (51 percent) would like more advice on access to education. The study author Ellen Heidinger found that refugees with an educational qualification or work experience from their country of origin are more likely to receive support than other people seeking protection.

Almost half of those surveyed (47.2 percent) did not want to talk about personal experiences during their flight. Around one in four people seeking protection reported violence and threats. According to DIW, women avoided answering questions about fleeing more often than men. When asked about specific negative experiences, almost 23 percent of refugees mentioned fraud. Around 18 percent of them reported physical attacks or a stay in prison.

Central Mediterranean route most dangerous

According to DIW, the central Mediterranean route – from Libya or Tunisia to Italy or Malta – is characterized by refugees as particularly dangerous. The eastern land route – from Russia via Belarus, Ukraine or Estonia, for example – had the fewest reports of negative experiences in the survey.

The DIW does not expect any savings effect in the healthcare system from the recent decision that refugees should now receive restricted healthcare services for up to three years in accordance with the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.

Before the change at the end of February, the maximum period of validity for asylum seeker benefits was 18 months. The reform has negative consequences for those affected and the state. Later treatment, for example in the case of psychological problems and chronic illnesses, often requires a more expensive treatment approach.

Some rejected asylum seekers would have to leave the country before the end of the 36 months and would therefore not be treated in Germany. However, since the asylum procedures often take a long time and the majority of those seeking protection stay in Germany long-term, for example because of obstacles to deportation, this does not save much money, argued the author of the study. If an asylum seeker is recognized as a refugee and cannot support himself, he is entitled to more comprehensive benefits under the Social Security Code and no longer under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.

DIW: Treatment certificate is too much work

In view of the administrative effort and associated costs, DIW believes it would make sense to roll out the electronic health card for refugees nationwide. According to the information, these only exist across the board in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Thuringia and Schleswig-Holstein. According to DIW, the traditional procedure, where asylum seekers have to obtain a treatment certificate before seeing a doctor, causes enormous effort.