The Location Choice of Refugees at Different Stages of the Integration Process

Marco Schmandt , Technical University of Berlin
Constantin Tielkes, European University Viadrina
Felix Weinhardt, European University Viadrina

We study the migration patterns and the determinants of location choices for refugees that arrived in Germany since 2015. We use a novel administrative dataset that contains 20% of all officially registered refugees and the complete history of cross-district moves. Using this data, we can distinguish individual and regional determinants of in- and out- migration for each month during the integration process. We can thereby track the evolution of the reasons for in- and out- migration over time. We show that determinants differ in strength at different stages during the integration process. Namely, affordable housing is the most relevant determinant early in the integration process, while the labor market becomes more relevant later. We document that these patterns and their evolution over time are similar under different legal conditions. This reveals a dynamic hierarchy of preferences among refugees: only once the basic need for housing is fulfilled, other determinants of location choice play a significant role.

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 Presented in Session 56. Flash session Internal Migration of Immigrant Origin Populations