Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Germany, 2019
- In recent years, the Federal Republic of Germany has been the most significant destination for asylum-related migration in the European Union. Asylum-related migrants are those who left their country of origin to search for better life in a country that is safe and usually provides better economic opportunities. Most of these migrants sought asylum; however, not all needed international protection. There is a continuum between forced and voluntary migration and the categorization and categories of migrants are very context-dependent. The main research questions in this research report are the following: 1. What kinds of asylum-related migrants (refugees, people with a temporary residence permit, asylum seekers, non-deportable former asylum seekers and undocumented migrants) live in Germany, in particular in Rhineland-Palatinate and Kaiserslautern? 2. What are the everyday lives of asylum-related migrants like in Rhineland-Palatinate and Kaiserslautern? 3. What are the migration wishes and plans of asylum-related migrants in Rhineland-Palatinate and Kaiserslautern? 4. How and for what reasons do asylum-related migrants in Rhineland-Palatinate and Kaiserslautern use the Internet and social media? The research questions are answered based on the empirical material collected during the field research in the spring and summer of 2019. In addition, earlier research and statistics on migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Germany are utilized. Asylum-related migrants responded according to their own views; the results indicate both their perspectives and our interpretation of them.