Longitudinal study of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany (SUARE II). Institutional framework conditions and family decisions in the integration process of refugees from Ukraine

• Applicants: Dr. Kseniia Gatskova; Professorin Yuliya Kosyakova, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 519020285

The present project examines the medium- and long-term integration trajectories of Ukrainian refugees in Germany, with a particular focus on the interactions between migration decisions, family strategies, institutional frameworks, and labor market integration. First, the project analyzes how migration decisions – particularly roles as “lead,” “equal,” “tied,” or “assigned movers” – as well as intentions to stay, return, or re-migrate and partnership trajectories affect the long-term integration strategies of Ukrainian refugees. The analysis focuses on family configurations, transnational relationships, legal uncertainty, and partnership formation to provide nuanced insights into household decision-making and mobility strategies. Second, the project investigates how these migration decisions and family strategies shape investments in host-country-specific human capital, social integration, and labor market participation. Key dimensions include (i) gender-specific employment dynamics, (ii) the effects of institutional contexts and integration policies, and (iii) comparisons with other refugee and migrant groups and international contexts. A particular added value of SUARE II lies in its international collaboration with leading partner institutions in the Netherlands, enabling systematic comparisons of integration policy approaches and generating internationally relevant findings. Third, the project will further develop the Longitudinal Study of Ukrainian Refugees (SUARE II) in close collaboration with SOEP and the BAMF Research Centre. Although the primary responsibility for the data module rests with Zinn et al., the applicants will make substantial contributions by (i) co-developing innovative survey instruments (e.g., vignettes, partnership module), (ii) ensuring data quality, (iii) linking survey data with IAB administrative employment histories (IEB), and (iv) further developing the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Refugee Survey. The project will thus contribute to building a robust, internationally visible panel infrastructure for refugee and integration research.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Netherlands, United Kingdom
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Sabine Zinn
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Agnieszka Kanas, Ph.D.; Dr. Mieke Maliepaard; Professorin Jenny Phillimore