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The Social Integration of International Migrants: Evidence from the Networks of Syrians in Germany

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  • Michael Bailey
  • Drew M. Johnston
  • Martin Koenen
  • Theresa Kuchler
  • Dominic Russel
  • Johannes Stroebel

Abstract

We use de-identified data from Facebook to study the social integration of Syrian migrants in Germany, a country that received a large influx of refugees during the Syrian Civil War. We construct measures of migrants' social integration based on Syrians' friendship links to Germans, their use of the German language, and their participation in local social groups. We find large variation in Syrians' social integration across German counties, and use a movers' research design to document that these differences are largely due to causal effects of place. Regional differences in the social integration of Syrians are shaped both by the rate at which German natives befriend other locals in general (general friendliness) and the relative rate at which they befriend local Syrian migrants versus German natives (relative friending). We follow the friending behavior of Germans that move across locations to show that both general friendliness and relative friending are more strongly affected by place-based effects such as local institutions than by persistent individual characteristics of natives (e.g., attitudes toward neighbors or migrants). Relative friending is higher in areas with lower unemployment and more completed government-sponsored integration courses. Using variation in teacher availability as an instrument, we find that integration courses had a substantial causal effect on the social integration of Syrian migrants. We also use fluctuations in the presence of Syrian migrants across high school cohorts to show that natives with quasi-random exposure to Syrians in school are more likely to befriend other Syrian migrants in other settings, suggesting that contact between groups can shape subsequent attitudes towards migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Bailey & Drew M. Johnston & Martin Koenen & Theresa Kuchler & Dominic Russel & Johannes Stroebel, 2022. "The Social Integration of International Migrants: Evidence from the Networks of Syrians in Germany," NBER Working Papers 29925, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29925
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    Cited by:

    1. Aksoy, Cevat Giray & Poutvaara, Panu & Schikora, Felicitas, 2023. "First time around: Local conditions and multi-dimensional integration of refugees," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Schilling, Pia & Stillman, Steven, 2024. "The impact of natives’ attitudes on refugee integration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Eric A. Hanushek & Lavinia Kinne & Pietro Sancassani & Ludger Woessmann, 2023. "Can Patience Account for Subnational Differences in Student Achievement? Regional Analysis with Facebook Interests," CESifo Working Paper Series 10660, CESifo.
    4. Hanushek, Eric A. & Kinne, Lavinia & Sancassani, Pietro & Woessmann, Ludger, 2024. "Patience and Subnational Differences in Human Capital: Regional Analysis with Facebook Interests," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 731, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law

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