Master Thesis in Urban and Regional Planning
German Asylum Seeker’s Migration Intentions Based on Housing Conditions
Could Asylum Seekers Housing Conditions in Germany Affect Moving Intentions?
Bell, Julia (2015)
Author: Tristan Joynt (11125829)
Supervisor: Christian Lennartz
June 2016
Table of Content
1. Introduction P. 1 1.1 Background of the Problem P. 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem P. 5 1.3 Significance of the Study P. 7 1.4 Primary Research Question P. 7 1.5 Hypothesis P. 8 1.6 Theoretical Framework P. 9 1.7 Assumptions, Limitations, and Scope P. 9 1.8 Potential Problems P. 10 1.9 Summary P. 11 2. Literature Review P. 13 2.1 Review of Literature P. 13 2.2 Justification of Survey Questions Based on Literature P. 21 3. Research Methodology P. 25 3.1 Research Justification P. 25 3.2 Locations P. 26 4. Observations Regarding The Locations, Findings, Data, Results P. 27 4.1 The Locations and Base Statistics P. 27 4.2 Key Findings of the Survey P. 31 5. Discussion P. 45 5.1 What the Results Mean P. 48 5.2 Problems with the Survey P. 49 5.3 Limitations of the Survey P. 50 6. Conclusion P. 53 6.1 Recommendations for Future Research P. 54 Survey in English P. 56 Survey in Arabic P. 59
Abstract
This research examines if there is a correlation between refugee perceptions about their housing conditions and their migration intentions. This became an apparent problem after an estimated 130,000 refugees went missing in Germany in 2015, with little or no information as to why. By surveying German refugees about their opinions regarding their facilities and moving intentions, this survey has bridged some of the academic void of knowledge regarding this subject. This data has shown that conditions in refugee camps do not significantly influence migrant intentions no matter how they are perceived. The data also indicated that refugees plans and desires to stay in Germany increased in every location regardless of how the inhabitants rated the facility. Furthermore, refugee’s plans and desires to leave the country or to return home decreased regardless of facility conditions. The research has displayed that refugees want to stay in Germany and the problem of missing people may be associated with different factors.Introduction
The aim of this study is to see if there is a correlation between refugee perceptions about their housing conditions and their migration intentions. It will be examining housing conditions in German refugee camps based on refugees opinions regarding their facilities. I will be asking refugees about their desires and plans before they moved to their new host country, and see if they have changed since they have been in their shelters. The media regarding refugee camps has been particularly negative especially towards conditions in these locations. In some articles refugees expressed desire to return home rather than live in such poor conditions in Germany. This could be an explanation as to why 130,000 refugees that registered in Germany in 2014 went missing in 2015. Could this mammoth amount of missing people be related to housing conditions in refugee camps, or could these people have had plans before coming to Germany to move or return home (Bell, 2015)? Asking current refugees about their housing quality, their past plans and desires and their future plans and desires might give insight as to why so many people have gone missing and if the trend will continue. It will also show if news released during that period accurately depicted the true opinions of refugees. Scientific knowledge regarding current refugee trends in Germany is very limited and the purpose of this survey will be to bridge that gap. This research could give scientific data that policy makers will be able to use in the future regarding policy decisions regarding housing. Background of the Problem During 2015 more than one million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe (BBC, 2016). This massive resettlement of people has led to a crisis as countries struggle to deal with the influx. It has also created deep political tensions within the EU over strategies to resettle these people and threatened the potential collapse of the EU's Schengen system as countries have begun to close their borders. And to further aggravate this problem, more refugee are predicted to arrive this year than in previous years (Hugler, Holehouse, 2015). How these refugees will be housed is a critical decision that many governments will have to make and modify over the coming years.
Who are these Refugees and where do they come from? The civil war in Syria has been the biggest driver of migration into the EU. Syria’s history and delicate ethnoreligious tapestry have led to the current multifaceted and cloudy civil war that to current estimates has left more than 470,000 dead, more than 4,000,000 refugees and 7,600,000 internally displaced (Black, 2016)(UNHCR,2015). “But the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, abuses in Eritrea, as well as poverty in Kosovo, are also leading people to look for new lives elsewhere (BBC, 2016).” (BBC, 2016) Why are people leaving Syria? Syrians are leaving Syria because of the civil war that is still lingering on. The war has been increasingly difficult to track but it is clear that Bashar alAssad’s use of chemical and airtoground weapons, indiscriminate shelling and consistent attacks upon the civilian population are forcing many people to leave. “In 2014, Syria’s armed conflict grew increasingly bloody with military forces and progovernment militias intensifying their attacks on civilian areas and continuing use of indiscriminate weapons. Government forces also continued to arbitrarily arrest, disappear, and torture detainees, many of whom died in detention. Nonstate armed groups opposing the government also carried out serious abuses including deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, use of child soldiers, kidnapping, and torture
in detention(Human Rights Watch, 2015).” This along with heavy intervention from the Russian and American Air Force has destroyed many of the major cities and basic infrastructure needed to survive. The destruction of hospitals, schools, and businesses has incapacitated Syria’s economy (World Vision, 2016). There are few jobs and high mortality rates. As mentioned before the civil war has left 470,000 dead,of which 12,000 are children, more than 4,000,000 refugees and 7,600,000 internally displaced (World Vision, 2016). The third problem that the country faces is hopelessness. “Syrian children, the nation’s hope for a better future, have lost loved ones, suffered injuries, missed years of schooling, and witnessed unspeakable violence and brutality. Warring parties forcibly recruit children to serve as fighters, human shields, and in support roles, according to the U.S. State Department (World Vision, 2016).” Where are these people going? Germany is the number one spot in Europe where refugees are claiming asylum. “Germany received the highest number of new asylum applications in 2015, with more than 476,000 (BBC, 2016).” Germany has become the epicenter of Europe's refugee crisis because of Angela Merkel’s open door refugee policy and her belief that Germany has the capacity to take in such a large number of people. German officials say that more than a million people have entered their "EASY" system which is designed to count and distribute people before they start their asylum process.
(BBC, 2016) What problems does Germany face? Germany has allowed the largest number of people to make asylum claims. This however has led to massive problems with housing and plans to relocate people, with overcrowding creating and exacerbating the following problems quoted from the Asylum Information Database; 1. Sanitation overload regarding the number of people using restrooms and showers. 2. No separate or quiet space for children, for example to do their homework for school. 3. Asylum seekers are sometimes not allowed to prepare their own food and/or there are no cooking facilities. 4. In some centers visitors have to report to staff and there are only limited visiting hours; in some cases, no overnight stays are allowed for visitors (even spouses). 5. Limited space and equipment for recreation. It has also been reported that “a stay in collective accommodation which lasts several years corresponds with increased health risks, especially an increased risk of mental disorders.” ` “(Asylum Information Database. 2016)” There is massive overcrowding in German refugee camps. In Berlin there have been consistent complaints about refugee centers condition in the media. One of the main complaints conditions in refugee camps are inhumane The city of “3.6 million is housing some 70,000 refugees many in temporary refugee accommodation, including sports facilities, schools and Berlin's former Tempelhof airport. “Some 85 percent of asylum seekers in Berlin are housed in mass shelters, according to Georg Classen of Berlin's independent Refugee Council, and only 15 percent in private flats (Naomi, 2016).” Some housing conditions have reportedly been so bad that migrants want to leave the country or in some cases return home. The problem has been that most of this reporting has been done by journalists and newspapers that have a very specific political stance on the current refugee crisis that is rooted in a partisan perspective. Thirteen percent of the one million refugees accepted into Germany last year have
been reported missing, meaning that over 130,000 people are unaccounted for in the country (BBC, 2016). These individuals are unregistered and are therefore considered underground by the German government. This massive disappearance of people is also heightening political tensions and debates, and refueling the far right's antiimmigration policies. Germany must be prepared to deal with an even larger wave of refugees coming into the country in the future who will need housing (Hugler, Holehouse, 2015). What is the Problem of Refugees Leaving the Country Prematurely or Going Missing? The number of refugees who abandon the asylum procedure and go underground, despite the risks and costs of this decision, is suggestive about the negative impacts of conditions in these camps. I interviewed Ms. van Tilburg, one of the coordinators of the two refugee camps in Amsterdam. She was able to identify three categories of effects on refugees that go underground. The first set of problems she identified was the effects on the refugees themselves. When refugees leave the country illegally they are subject to the Dublin Regulation. The Dublin Regulation holds that only one member state of the EU is responsible for the examination of an asylum seeker and prevents multiple claims in differing countries. This means that if an asylum seeker decides to move counties or go underground before they have finished their asylum process, which can take a substantial amount of time, they can lose their visa to be in any country in the EU. Without first completing all of the steps necessary to become a resident of the Netherlands, for instance, refugees cannot then begin the process of finding housing and work. If they do continue to pursue work and housing they have to do it illegally, which puts them at risk of several other factors. Refugees in the camps currently are allowed to work but not for money. For example, if they help paint part of the building they might receive a free meal from a restaurant. Another major set of problems that they face is that they are denied minimum political and legal rights. They can’t vote, they can’t register for health care, they don’t receive benefits and they enter incredibly murky waters if they are caught working illegally or conducting any illegal activity. Working in the most competitive and nonunionized job sectors, they can be victimized by criminals or become criminals themselves. Statement of the Problem The problem that will be examined is whether or not refugee perceptions about housing conditions affect their migration intentions. After the disappearance of over 130,000 refugees in Germany during 2015, research must be conducted to see if there is a causal relationship between housing
conditions and refugees going underground, leaving the country or returning home. This is a problem that affects refugees, Germany and the EU as whole. When refugees fail to complete their asylum processes they then become illegal aliens in Germany and the EU. And because the Dublin Regulation stops refugees from making asylum claims in other countries their chances of becoming a legal resident of the EU are diminished. When refugees fail to complete this process they then have to pursue work and housing illegally, which and lead to significant legal ramifications. They are furthermore denied basic political and legal rights such as healthcare, education, benefits, and the ability to vote. They can also be potentially victimized by criminals or become criminals themselves. Another factor that needs to be considered in this conversation is how legal refugees could positively affect Germany and the EU. As of now every country in the EU is below the required amount of children being born to sustain the population of a developed country (The Independent, 2008). According to Pew Research, Germany is expected to lose 14.7% of its population by 2050 (Kockhar, 2014). Refugees could fill job vacancies, sustain economic growth, balancing the population pyramid, and help pension problems with more individuals paying taxes. The influx and disappearance of refugees has also significantly affected Germany and the EU. It has become clear over the last two years that the EU has not handled this movement of people particularly well. Some countries such as Greece and Italy are struggling incredibly to handle the number of people entering their borders, countries that have relied on Germany for bailouts and for economic support regarding refugees in the past. Several other countries such as the UK and Denmark have refused to participate in the redistribution of these people. In fact, pro UK leave campaigners cited that large numbers of refugees and other European workers as one of the reasons they voted to leave the EU (The Week, 2016). The exit of the second largest financial power in Europe, along with the possibility of other countries wanting to leave, with effect all European residents. Poor negotiations between countries have also threatened the sanctity of the Schengen Area’s free movement of people, a critical component of the EU. In addition, the rise of the far right has also threatened the EU with immigration being one of the central points. Xenophobia and nationalism are becoming more prevalent with parties such as the Frauke Petry of Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland , Marine Le Pen of France’s National Front and Norbert Hofer of Austria’s Freedom Party. Far right parties fueled by antiimmigration rhetoric are impacting Europe’s ability to govern itself. These nationalist parties will make solving the refugee crisis more difficult and will hinder negotiations regarding the Brexit. Europe borders on an area where there is going to be long term instability due to failed states, brutal dictators and violent non state actors. Europe is a key part of the international system which
incorporates 1951 Geneva Convention Refugee Laws. The willingness and capacity of states to welcome refugees who have a well founded fear of persecution is a key component of the international state system. Every country that has agreed to these frameworks has a moral and legal responsibility to respond effectively to refugees. Dealing effectively with refugees requires understanding their migration experience because this experience shapes their attitudes to their new host nation and their ability to integrate. A key measure of this experience is related to their housing and environment, highly influential factors in quality of life. If migrants migration intentions are changed due to poor housing quality certain steps will need to taken in order to ensure the proper integration of refugees. Significance of the Study The goal of this research is to see if poor housing conditions do indeed affect refugees moving intention, a claim that has often been made by the media. The goal of this research will be to see if this correlation is real, and to give scientific information regarding the problem to help find solutions. Depending upon the outcome of the research the German Government, the EU, refugee shelters, politicians and other groups and individuals involved in the refugee housing situation will be able to make educated decisions regarding policy. There is a tremendous lack of knowledge regarding the subject that this research could potentially fill. This data could be incredibly valuable being that more refugees are expected to arrive in 2016 than years past, and at this critical juncture important decisions will need to be made. The goal of this research is to provided scientific and academic backing to validate future decisions and improve the human condition for refugees and the members of the EU. Primary Research Question 1. Do housing conditions in refugee shelters influence refugee’s desires or plans to stay in Germany, to move to another country, or to return to their country of origin? Media Analysis Many reports regarding the housing conditions in refugee camps have been incredibly negative.
Barbara Tasch of the UK Business Insider reported that “the conditions in German refugee shelters are so bad that some refugees would rather return to the homes they fled than stay where they are (Tasch, 2016).” While interviewing refugees in several camps around Germany she encountered several people that said that “they gather people in horrible camps with no space to sleep, bathe, or relax. There is no hope here in Germany (Tasch, 2016).” Even the Asylum Information Database admitted in their 2015 report that conditions in camps faced severe problems with overcrowding, sanitation and overarching laws regarding the standards of refugee centers (Asylum Information Database. 2016). A first world bias may be shaping reporting on conditions in these German camps. The idea that housing conditions in Germany are so bad that residents want to return to countries like Syria, where they are constantly in danger of losing their lives, seems to be misleading. And while it is incredibly important to make sure that proper housing is provided to refugees, I struggle to believe that many will want to return to countries that are in such peril. Hypothesis My hypothesis is that conditions in refugee camps, whether good or poor, do not impact the moving intentions of refugees. Regardless of the conditions in refugee camps and shelters, these refugees are now living in a country that has social security, a much more advanced medical system, better education opportunities, more chances for employment and from my perspective more hope for the future. The second reason for my hypothesis stems from the Dublin Regulation, and my belief that many asylum seekers are familiar with its terms. The Dublin regulation is aimed to ensure that only one member state of the EU is responsible for the examination of an asylum seeker and to prevent multiple claims in differing countries. This means that if an asylum seeker decides to move countries or go underground before they have finished their asylum process they can lose their visa to be in any country in the EU. Although I expect that there will be significant problems with overcrowding and “hard’’ and “soft’’ factors mentioned by Mary Shaw, I believe that refugees should know that leaving the country before their required stay in refugee housing will result in the loss of their chance to become a resident or obtaining a visa to be in the EU. As mentioned in the section regarding the problems of refugees going missing, refugees who do not complete all of the required steps of their legal position then lose rights to work, to obtain housing and are denied minimum political and legal rights. These factors alone make me believe that while housing could be an issue, not staying for the required time is not worth losing a chance for asylum.
In addition, since the majority of asylum seekers are from Syria, I do not believe that many refugees will have plans to return in the near future and in some cases at all. With the war still raging, most of the country’s infrastructure destroyed or damaged and the scarcity of basic human resources and work, I believe that many refugees will be happy to be in Germany regardless of their housing conditions. The steps and journeys that refugees have to take to make it to Germany show that it is a highly valuable location that justify the risks of making such a dangerous voyage. Many of these refugees have paid large amounts of money to get out of the country and have faced significant challenges getting to Germany. Germany provides many more resources and chances at a better life than were previously available in Syria. And while it is not my place to say which country is better to live in, I believe that refugees are strategically coming to Germany to start a better life. Theoretical Framework The participants in my study will be refugees currently living in refugee housing in Germany. The facilities that will be subjects in my study will need to meet two criteria. They will need to be facing the problem of overcrowding and will need to be facilities that were not originally designed for housing. I will be conducting research at four refugee housing facilities that meet these criteria, and a fifth housing facility that is not affected by overcrowding and was designed for housing. My study will be quantitative and will use a survey distributed in English and Arabic. The survey is designed to ask about refugees desires or plans to stay in the country, move to another country or return home both before and after they arrived in refugee housing. It will also be using questions based in the literature regarding the subject to uncover refugees opinions towards their housing conditions. The survey is designed to test whether or not their desires or plans of refugees to stay in the country, move to another country or return home have changed and if this change is related to their housing quality. Assumptions, Limitations, and Scope (Delimitations) The first assumption is that interviewees will be honest about their past and current intentions. My hope is that they will not simply tell me what they think I want to hear. My second assumption is that those who return the surveys will be a representative sample of the camp. The first limitation that could be a problem is that my survey will only be in English and Arabic. And while the majority of reported refugees are from Arabic speaking countries there are a smaller number of refugees from countries like
Kosovo, Albania, Pakistan and Ukraine that might not speak English or Arabic. My results would be altered if a full representation of the population of these camps was not surveyed. The limited scale of the survey will mean that it will be necessary to be cautious about the scope of the conclusions. Potential Problems The first problem that I have conclude is that many refugees may not trust me and may not be comfortable answering questions about whether or not they are going to leave the country. This is why the first paragraph will explain that this is not a government survey, is anonymous and in no way will be used against them or anyone else. However, I can still imagine that there will be a trust problem between refugees and myself since I will not be able to converse directly with those that speak only Arabic. Some people might have questions or want specifics about certain questions. I will not be able to answer them unless I can bring a translator with me. I can also see motivation being a problem for people wanting to take the survey being that it in no way is going to affect their housing conditions. I can imagine that some people will not want to do the survey knowing that it will have no effect on them. However, I am positive that there will be many people that want to express their opinions, especially those that feel that they are being oppressed. Another problem that might affect refugees opinions towards migration are the constant geopolitical changes that are happening in regards to the refugee crisis. Critical variables are constantly changing for refugees in their home countries, their host countries, the EU and in the world. Factors such as Germany changing its border policies after a series of new year's eve attacks, England possibly leaving the EU, other countries changing their migration policy, the EU’s possible trade off of refugees with Turkey and the rise of right wing antiimmigration groups all these factors could have serious implications for refugees migration intentions. As with any scientific study repetition is key to validate its scientific validity. However, I believe that because of these constantly changing external variables repetition could be extremely difficult, since my study will only capture a small fragment of time in a much larger narrative. Even if my results show an important correlation, these could change as time moves on and external variables change. The last problem that complicates the study is that migrant intentions are impacted by individual factors unrelated to housing. The paper Migration Intentions and Behavior emphasises the way factors such as age, marital status, family structure, previous migration and individual economic resources can impact the desires to stay, move to another country, or return home. Some refugees may choose to leave solely because they have family in other countries, which could be a starting point for their housing and
work. There could potentially be a large part of the population that is unsatisfied with housing conditions but plan to stay because they have family in Germany. There could also be a large portion of the population that is dissatisfied with housing conditions but find it difficult to move being that they are married and or have children. Summary This study will aim to see if there is a correlation between refugee housing conditions and refugee’s desires or plans to stay in their host country, move to another country, or return to their country of origin. The study will survey refugee plans and desires both before and after they have lived in Germany. It will be questioning refugees in five German refugee camps about their opinions towards their housing conditions and their intentions to stay or leave the country. We see that the Syrian civil war is the largest driver of immigrants into the EU, and that Germany has decided to take the largest number of these people. This has created massive problems of overcrowding and many reports of poor conditions in their refugee camps. These problems could lead immigrants to leave the country or go underground which then creates a further problem for themselves and for the EU. The dilemma that Germany and the EU currently face is that there is a significant gap in knowledge that is not helping to improve the human condition of the refugee or provide information towards future solutions. This study could shed some light as to why so many immigrants are going underground and identify potential solutions for future waves of immigrants. My primary research question is whether housing conditions in refugee camps change refugees desires or plans to stay in their host country, to move to another country, or to return to their country of origin. However, I believe that conditions in refugee camps, whether good or bad, do not impact refugees moving intentions. My thesis stems from the fact that the Dublin regulation is in effect and that I believe most immigrants are aware of this when applying for visas. I also believe that people who have partaken in such a dangerous trip to get to Germany will not want to return to their countries of origin with the Syrian war still in full effect and conflict raging in other areas. For my study I will be surveying refugees that are currently living in Germany refugee housing that meet the criteria of being overcrowded and not originally designed for housing. I will also be conducting research at a fifth variable facility that was designed for housing and is not facing overcrowding. In my research I acknowledge that I will assume that interviewees will be honest about their past and current intentions and that those who return the surveys will be a representative sample of the camp. The survey faces a number of challenges, including
the trust required for refugees to release genuine information, the fact that the geopolitical domain is consistently changing and finally that there are alternative factors such as family and marital status that could skew the results. These variables may impact the results of the study and any conclusions about their broader significance.
Literature Review
Shaw, Mary (2004, April), Housing and Public Health. Annual Review of Public Health, Vol. 25, p. 397418. This chapter examines key literature on the relationship between housing and public health. Mary Shaw looks distinguishes between direct and indirect factors that at different levels that affect public health. Her analysis provides tools and categories that help to elucidate many of the problems refugee camps are facing. The assumption underlying Shaw’s work is stated in her conclusion by arguing that “investment in housing can be more than an investment in bricks and mortar: It can also form a foundation for the future health and wellbeing of the population (Shaw, p. 397).” A similar assumption informs the UN claim that “housing is a basic human right. “This is enshrined by the United Nations as the right not just to basic shelter but to “adequate housing,” in terms of legal security of tenure; availability of services, materials, facilities, and infrastructure; affordability; habitability; accessibility; and location and cultural adequacy (Shaw, p. 397).” . Shaw notes that these factors change in the industrialized and developing world. From here the paper subdivides the ways in which housing affects health into “hard” and “soft” factors. “Hard” factors are categorized as the “material conditions of housing affecting physical health (Shaw, p. 397) .” “Soft” factors are defined as “a component of general wellbeing, ontological security, and the perception of social status, in both individual and community contexts; conversely, housing debt, poor housing, and deprived areas can be seen as potentially harmful (Shaw, p. 398).” She then divides “Hard” and “Soft” factors into direct and indirect ways in which housing can affect health. She describes indirect “hard” factors as factors such as “the area or neighborhood in which housing is located, the proximity to services and facilities, and the condition of the natural and built environment (Shaw, p. 398).” She describes indirect “soft” factors as the “prevalent culture in an area, the sense of community and shared values, and the level of social capital that is characteristic of the area (Shaw, p. 398).”(Shaw, p. 398) The direct consequences of poor housing on public health are then presented from a historical perspective. “The Industrial Revolution changed fundamentally not only the working but also the living conditions of a large proportion of the population. Millions of people came to be living in overcrowded, highdensity, poorly ventilated, damp, unclean housing, with limited access to clean water and a haphazard system of waste and water disposal (Shaw, p. 399). The paper cites Friedrich Engels The Condition of the Working Class in England quoting that, “In a word, we must confess that in the working men’s dwellings of Manchester, no cleanliness, no convenience, and consequently no comfortable family life is possible; that in such dwellings only a physically degenerate race, robbed of all humanity, degraded, reduced morally and physically to bestiality, could feel comfortable and at home (Shaw, p. 398).” Other challenges that the working poor faced were diseases like cholera and the threat of criminal perils. “The steady flow of immigration exacerbated the poor living conditions (as well as fueling the moral debate), contributing in the short term to even greater overcrowding and poverty (Shaw, p. 400).” From there the author begins to look at modern evidence that is particularly relevant to my research. The author first notes that although housing conditions have greatly improved over the last two hundred years, “extreme conditions of inadequate housing can still be seen to be related to a (relatively small) number of cases of hypothermia, and in certain populations severe overcrowding has been related to the prevalence of tuberculosis. (Shaw, p. 402)” The second point that the author makes is that “the evidence base concerning the direct effect of housing on health is not as substantial as we might expect. “Studies that relate housing to specific health outcomes tend to be smallscale, often reporting small effect sizes, and sometimes with conflicting results; in some ways the evidence base can be characterized as
piecemeal (Shaw, p. 403).” She then presents a list of direct variables that can affect people’s health. These include ventilation, temperature, cleanliness, overcrowding, the presence or absence of safety equipment, and lighting. In the second part, about modern evidence, the author identifies a key problem, “although there has been a great deal of research into housing, there has been relatively little on the meaning of home (Shaw, p. 408).” As well as being a shelter from the elements, a house can also provide social and psychological benefits, meaning safety, privacy, a scene of security and control (Shaw, p. 408). When these factors are not met ‘’soft factors such as noise and violence can cause physiological problems. High levels of noise were related to higher levels of anxiety and depression (Shaw, p. 409). Violence in the home can be source of strain and danger, especially for women and children and can also be the can be the ‘’primary location of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse (Shaw, p. 409).’’ There can also be psychological effects in terms of the facilities and services available in an area such as “leisure centers, food stores, and in particular, health services (Shaw, p. 412).’’ Addressing poorquality housing and detrimental neighborhoods, in the broadest sense, is thus a task that should be grasped with vigor and determination by all those involved in public health (Shaw, p. 397).” Mary Shaw’s research showed that there is an effect between housing quality and mental and physical health by using historical material, case studies, statistics, and recent findings. This research will be used in my surveys to ask the opinions of refugees about ventilation, temperature, cleanliness, overcrowding, , violence, lighting, facilities and services available, and the presence of communicable diseases. All of these problems could be problems that could lead to refugees leaving the country, returning home, or going underground. As mentioned numerous times in Deborah Phillips’s paper Moving Towards Integration
and in the Asylum Information Database, overcrowding seems to be the biggest
housing factor that will need to be explored in my research. This is why I will be using the “hard’’ and “soft” variables in their papers, Deborah Phillips’s Moving Towards Integration and in the Asylum Information Database to formulate my survey. It will measure these factors and see if there is a correlation to poor housing conditions and asylum seekers intentions to leave the country, stay in the country, or return home both before and after they have lived in refugee housing.
Deborah Phillips (2006), “Moving Towards Integration: The Housing of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Britain.”, The Journal of Housing Studies, Vol 21, No.4, 539553.
Debora Phillips’s paper Moving Towards Integration looks at housing as being a key dimension for refugee integration. The goal of refugee housing should be to “assist new migrants to access decent, safe, secure and affordable accommodation (Phillips, p, 540).” The main conclusion of her paper is that poor housing experiences can lead refugees to experience deprivation and insecurity. While her paper doesn’t explicitly look at specific housing factors that cause distress and anxiety to refugees, she does talk about the key element of racial harassment and overcrowding. These elements have been reported in many of the camps and will be used to formulate questions in my survey. Phillips thinks that the words asylum seeker and refugee need to be clarified. “While often used interchangeably, they reflect the different immigration status of two distinct categories of forced migrant (Phillips, p, 540).” This clarification is important to identify because depending on the country their status “has a bearing on each group's entitlement to housing and welfare benefits (Phillips, p, 540).” It also changes the amount of time that an asylum seeker must stay in provided housing before they are granted freedom of movement. Her paper is based on studies in the UK and I will be conducting my studies in Germany meaning that there will be differing laws that pertain to these groups. She points out that the integration is often used but has an ambiguous meaning, and that this meaning changes greatly according to country and local authorities. She does however note that in “Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany broadly conceptualize refugee integration in terms of assimilation and dispersal, pursuing policies designed to minimize cultural difference and promote ethnic desegregation, often at the expense of housing choice (Phillips, p, 541).” My paper is not looking at the integration of refugees and asylum seekers, but it does examine one of the key aspects pertaining to their integration, housing. However, in her article “there is no mention of housing quality, except overcrowding, presumably because of the inadequacy of census indicators. Again, it is important to remember that this work is about the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, and not housing problems. Phillips asserts that racial harassment is a serious problem for refugees when they arrive in their host country. “Interviewees voiced a common concern about the damaging effects of racist harassment on housing integration. For example, researchers in NorthEast England (Refugee Advisory Committee on
Tyneside, 2002, p. 3) stressed that “racism is a key issue region wide”, and the Scottish Executive (2003, p. 11) concluded that “the widespread experience of racism and harassment, remained a serious problem.” This has been an enormous problem in Germany since the start of the current refugee crisis. “A sudden influx of asylum seekers can create different tensions from the ones faced by more settled ethnic groups (Phillips, p, 549).” This “soft” factor will be integrated into my surveys to see whether or not racial harassment is a problem in that particular housing segment. These are the two main problems with housing quality that will need to be addressed in my surveys and in my work. I will need to look at the problems of overcrowding and of racial harassment. And while racial harassment is not a particular aspect of housing quality, it has been prevalent in cases where people protest outside of refugee centers and or when there is racial harassment by owners of properties or workers in these properties. Racial harassment contributes to “soft” factors, mentioned by Mary Shaw, that can cause physiological problems and break up her definition of a home by violating safety in a social and psychological sense. “Hard” factors relating to overcrowding will also be used from this paper towards my research. Asylum Information Database (2016, 11 March) “Conditions in Reception Facilities.”, Germany The Asylum Information Database reports provides almost all the key details pertaining to German Asylum seekers on a yearly basis. The annual report includes statistics, the legal framework, changes since the previous report, asylum procedures and most importantly information regarding reception center conditions. The reception center information includes access and forms of reception conditions, types of accommodations, conditions in reception facilities, access to reception centers by third parties, freedom of movement, health care and employment and education. This report contains key information for my research. First it indicates that third party access to refugee camps is legal and that there are no restrictions regarding who can enter. This means that for my research I assumed that i would not need special clearance to enter these facilities and should have been able to conduct my research without interruption. Second the residence obligation, or Aufenthaltsgestattung, has been removed since 31 December, 2014. This means that asylum seekers are now not limited to the town or district in which their place of accommodation was located. After three months, asylum seekers with a tolerated stay do not have to remain in the town or region that they were
designated. It is important to note that asylum seekers are not given choice of location when entering the country. “This change particularly affects asylum seekers from safe countries of origin, who are obliged in principle to stay in initial reception centers for the whole duration of their procedures.” This could change refugees opinions on whether or not they want to stay in the country once their initial time is finished in their housing. Third, there is no common standard for initial reception centers. However, in communal centers sanitation regulations must be meet. There are several hundred refugee centers around the country, many of which are close to large cities, but some that are in small towns or at a distance from anything. “One initial reception centre (NostorfHorst in the state of MecklenburgVorpommern) is located in an isolated rural area some 10 km away from the next small town.” In terms of housing conditions the “Refugee Reception Act” requires a room to have 4.5 m² of living space. However, since the influx of refugees over the past two years overcrowding has become a serious problem. “In some centers, mobile units (housing containers) and tents were used for temporary housing. In other reception centers distribution of applicants to other accommodation in the same Federal State was accelerated, the duration of stay for newly arrived asylum seekers was limited to a period of a few days to make room for new arrivals. In 2015 many asylum seekers were not even received in the initial reception centers but sent to local accommodation or to emergency shelters before their asylum application had been registered.” This massive influx of refugees meant that the government had to rely on welfare organizations as well as companies to provide housing. This lead to many refugees being put in emergency shelters such as “gyms, office buildings, containers or tents.” There are guidelines about the allowable ratios in the facilities between people and elements such as showers and bathrooms, “but in some reception centers the ratio is poor, particularly in situations of overcrowding” Most food is provided by the center in which the refugee is living. “Some, but not all initial reception centers also have shared kitchen space which enables asylum seekers to cook their own food. Refrigerators for the use of asylum seekers are available in some initial reception centers, but this seems to be the exception.” The report also found several common complaints among refugees. Some prominent issues relate to the following issues: 1. Sanitation regarding the number of people using restrooms and showers. 2. No separate or quiet space for children, for example to do their homework for school. 3. Asylum seekers are sometimes not allowed to prepare their own food and/or there are no cooking facilities.
4. In some centers visitors have to report to staff and there are only limited visiting hours; in some cases, no overnight stays are allowed for visitors (even spouses). 5. Limited space and equipment for recreation. 6. It has also been reported that “a stay in collective accommodation which lasts several years corresponds with increased health risks, especially an increased risk of mental disorders.” From this report it is clear that overcrowding, “hard” and “soft” factors are a problem. This is also reflected in the work of Mary Shaw’s and Deborah Phillips’s work. Overcrowding strains resources in refugee camps and could lead to side effects that cause refugees to leave the country, return home, or stay where they are. These problems could be made worse if asylum seekers stay in collective accommodation for the whole duration of their asylum procedures, as it is generally prescribed by law, this often takes several years since the obligation applies to appeal procedures as well. De Jong,Gordon, Root, Brenda, Gardner, Robert, Fawcett, James Abad, Ricardo (1986), “Migration Intentions and Behavior: Decision Making in a Rural Philippine Province.”, The Journal of Population and Environment, Vol 8, No, 1 & 2, p. 4162 The next important step in my research is to look into migrants moving intentions. Migrant intention experiments identify key facts that can be statistically linked to migrants intentions of moving. I will use research conducted in the early 1980’s in northwestern part of Luzon, the Philippines. This work employed empirical models that were developed to analyze personal and structural background factors and expectancybased perceptions of place utility that determine migration intentions and behavior. Because of a major job shortage and rice famine in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s many workers were unable to find work and as a result migrated internally and internationally. “There was internal migration to the Cagayan Valley, to other frontier areas on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao, and to Manila, and international migration to western United States locations, notably California and Hawaii.” The Philippine Migration Study, ‘’ which used multiple individual and household level surveys, was designed to assess motivational and structural determinants of migration intentions and migration behavior as well as the adjustment of Ilokano migrants to Manila and Honolulu destinations.’’ The survey sampled 1,340 individuals between the ages of 1864 to look for intended movers. Of the total sample 404 individuals intended to move. “The purpose of the screened sample was to provide a sufficiently large
number of potential migrants for a longitudinal followup survey of actual migration behavior.” The longitudinal followup survey conducted two years later located and reinterviewed individuals from the original survey. The research theorized that when an ‘’appropriate measure of intention is obtained it will provide the most accurate prediction of behavior.’’ ‘’Theoretically, the prediction of behavioral intentions is synonymous with the prediction of actual behavior.’’ The research noted that previous work about the relationship between migration intentions and behavior often lacked clarity with operational definitions such as “intentions, plans, desires, wishes, expectations, and behavior.” This is incredibly important regarding my research because my work will be translated into Arabic to meet the survey samples needs. It is critical that the operational definitions of plans and desires are translated correctly in my work. All though previous was not definitive, it did show that there are external factors or background factors that often influence the relationship between intentions and behavior. The first migrant decision influence that the research found was that family network ties “are expected to be salient factors not only in the development of intentions to move but also in facilitating actual migration behavior.’’ These network ties were also incredibly important in the decision making process of migrants because they needed help when finding housing and jobs. It found that previous migration was a key factor in determining if refugees would travel internationally. However, because the audience that I will survey has already migrated to a new country I will not be using this information in my surveys. The study also found several other key factors: 1. Age: that younger people were more likely to migrate that older people. 2. Economic Resources: people with greater economic resources were more likely to move. 3. Marital Status: people whom had never married were more likely to move than those who’ve married. 4. Education level: individuals with higher educations were more likely to move. 5. Previous Migration: people whom had previously lived outside of the surveyed area were more likely to move.
6. Location: people from urban areas were less likely to move than people from rural settings. This work will be used to help determine the migration intentions of refugees in German centers. The research sheds light on external variables that could cause refugees to leave the country, return home, or go underground. However, this report had mixed results and was somewhat inconclusive. The equation that was formulated between these authors did shed light onto whether or not a migrant was likely to leave but was unable to predict their future migration plans. “Comparing internal and international migration decisionmaking, we find that the determinants of intentions to move are quite similar but the determinants of actual migration behavior are quite different.” Internal migration was found to be correlated to age, education and prior migration experience, whereas external migration was correlated to “having money to move, experiencing pressure from family members to undertake such a move, the availability of auspices in Hawaii to assist in obtaining housing and a job, and being older.” My research will focus on factors one and three in order to see if migrant intentions are changed.
Justification of Survey Questions Based on Literature
Part One Part of my Research will focus on basic information and information taken from the paper in my literature review Migration Intentions and Behavior. The first question that will be asked is the participant's age. This question was highlighted in the paper Migration Intentions and Behavior and indicated that younger people were more likely to migrate than older people. This could make a difference in whether or not respondents are willing to leave the country or return home. Older respondents, even if they are unsatisfied with housing conditions, may not be willing to relocate again. Having emailed several leaders and volunteers of various sites it has come to my attention that many of the refugees that I will be able to work with are young males. Hopefully a full representative sample will be surveyed to ensure validity. Question two asks for the participants gender. This will be important because, as mentioned before younger males are more likely to leave a host country according to the paper Migration Intentions and Behavior . Question three asks the country of origin of the respondent. This factor will be interesting to analyses being that there are many refugees that come from very different countries that are facing very different problems. My hypothesis is that refugees from European countries like Ukraine will have different moving intentions from others from locations such as Syria and Iraq. Question four asks about marital status. Question five about having children with them in their location. Question seven about having family that is living in Germany, and question eight is abouthaving family that is living in other countries in the European Union. These again, according to the paper Migration Intentions and Behavior , might affect refugees decisions to stay in the country, leave to another country, or return to their own country, irrespective of the problems with housing facilities . Part Two Part two of my survey will be asking about the initial intentions of refugees before they reached Germany. Questions one, two and three will ask whether or not refugees wanted to stay in Germany, move to a different country or to return to their country of origin. These questions are designed to express desire before arriving in Germany. The words "live" and "stay" can be translated into Arabic in many different ways. For the survey I used the translation ﺔﻣﺎﻗﺇ which is also the word for "residence" and so carries certain legal connotations for refugees and asylum seekers. Questions four, five and six will ask refugees if before they arrived to Germany they had plans to stay in the country, to move to a different country or to return to your country of origin. These questions are designed to see if there was a plan before the refugee arrived on their migration intentions. I have made these questions into yes, probably yes, maybe, probably no, no and don’t know on the assumption that many refugee may or may not have had desires or plans to stay, move, or return home before they arrived. Part two of my survey is designed to be compared with part five of my survey which will be asking similar questions but after the individual has lived in the refugee camp. The idea of asking these questions in the first part of the survey and in the last part of the survey is to see if there has been any change in desire or plan in correlation with housing conditions. Part Three Part three of my survey will look at the physical commodities that are available in these refugee camps. These will include access to clean drinking water, access to cooking facilities, access to clean showers, and access to clean bathrooms. Questions on cooking facilities, showers and clean bathrooms will have two sub questions; one how long the person has to wait to use these facilities, and how they rate these facilities on a scale of one to ten. These subjects are specifically related to the problems of overcrowding and sanitation. These questions were taken from Mary Shaw theories of “hard” factors that can affect physical health. From her paper Housing and Public Health we can see that housing quality, with the specific focus on overcrowding and hygiene can cause physical health problems and lead to dissatisfaction with housing quality. Questions twelve and thirteen, pertain to air quality in facilities. This “hard’’ factors can lead to people becoming ill, especially when there is a large number of people living in a small space. Question thirteen will ask the participant to rate the air quality on a one to ten scale with
the option of don’t know. These “hard” factors could be reasons that refugees are deciding to leave there mandatory stay in their housing, and eventually go underground, leave the country, or return to their home country. Part Four Part four of my research will continue with Mary Shaw’s theories of “hard” and “soft” factors that could potentially affect refugees mental health. Questions one and two are designed to see how many people a refugee shares a room with. Although it is extremely rare from the reports regarding refugee housing, individuals that indicate that they have a single room could potentially be more satisfied with conditions in their camp. The third question is designed to see how people rate the room that they live in on a one to ten scale. The fourth question directly asks the individual whether or not they feel that overcrowding is a problem in their room. This factor alone could be the reason that some refugees are choosing to leave. Questions four, five and six all address “soft’’ factors that could lead to physiological harm. As mentioned in Mary Shaw’s work having a quiet place to work or relax can greatly reduce stress. Question six is related to several reports that refugees have very little to do when they are housing in camps. From Mary Shaw’s work having room for recreation could also lower levels of stress and reduce other psychological problems. The seventh question is focused on residents that have children. Again from Mary Shaw’s work, having a place for children to play or work can be crucial in reducing stress for parents. Questions eight and nine relate to the question of housing and health. The eighth question asks if the person or someone they know has become ill from a communicable disease. This is not only an important problem relating to housings hygiene but also could contribute to physiological stress about becoming ill. The ninth question will ask if that illness was believed to be due to conditions in the camp. This again could show dissatisfaction with housing hygiene and could be related to the “hard” factors of the camp. The tenth question asks whether or not there been violence or conflict in your camp that makes you feel unsafe. This again stems from Mary Shaw’s work on how violence in housing can cause psychological distress. Question eleven comes from Debora phillips ’s paper Moving Towards Integration on the damaging effects of racist harassment on housing integration. There have been several reports of this around Germany that may make residents feel uncomfortable in their settings which could lead them to potentially change their migration intentions. Part Five Part five is directly related to part two in the survey but pertains to views since a person has been living in a camp. Questions two, three and four will aim to see, in comparison with the questions in part
two, whether or not desires to stay in Germany, move to a different country, or to return to their country of origin have changed since they have been living in the camp. Questions five, six, and seven will ask the same question but in relations to plans to stay in Germany, move to a different country, or to return to their country of origin. Part five will also directly ask participants on a scale of 110 and don’t know how satisfied are they are with the conditions in their camp. Combining the results from part two and part five will give insight as to whether or not housing experiences have changed people's desires and plans to stay in Germany, leave to another country, or return home.
Research Methodology
This study will aim to see if there is a correlation between refugee housing conditions and refugee’s desires or plans to stay in their host country, move to another country, or return to their country of origin before and after they have arrived in Germany. It will be examining housing conditions in German refugee camps based on refugees opinions regarding the facilities. I will be asking refugees about their desires and plans before they moved to their new host country, and see if they have changed since they have been in Germany. I have chosen to conduct this research in Germany because it is the largest location in Europe where refugees are claiming asylum. I will also be conducting my research in Germany because it has been the most desired point for refugees to migrate based on Germany’s open door policy and their economic status. The reason for not choosing Greece or Italy to conduct my research is because many migrants are not planning to stay there which would deeply affect the results. Since Germany has chosen to take in the largest number of refugees it is having large scale problems with maintaining refugee housing conditions, which may or may not be why 130,000 refugees that registered in Germany in 2014 went missing in 2015. Poor housing conditions have been cited as one of the reasons for these disappearances but this has not been scientifically proven. And while this research will not be looking at refugees that have disappeared, it will aim to see if there is a link in housing conditions and refugees desires or plans to stay in the country, move to another country, or to return to their home country. My research will be done through closed survey research and observational research. I will be surveying several sites in Germany to find opinions regarding their housing facilities and whether or not this makes or has changed their opinion on whether they want to stay, leave the country, or return home. I will be using survey questions that are yes , no or don’t know, along with rating questions where refugees are to rate the scale of a specific question on 110 or don’t know. The reason that I will be using closed surveys is because most of the refugees are coming from Arabic speaking backgrounds. I will be open to using open interviews if the appropriate number of English speaking refugees live in the camp. The primary location that I will be conducting my research is in Berlin. The city of “3.6 million is housing some 70,000 refugees many in temporary refugee accommodation, including sports facilities, schools and Berlin's former Tempelhof airport. Some 85 percent of asylum seekers in Berlin are housed in mass shelters, according to Georg Classen of Berlin's independent Refugee Council, and only 15 percent in private flats (Naomi, 2016).” The locations that I will be focusing on are areas that have been reportedas being overcrowded such as Tempelhof airport, The Lobeckstraße shelter, Olympiapark, and KarlMarxStr shelter. My control site will be the GroßBerliner Damm shelter that was originally designed for housing and is not facing problems of overcrowding. The other locations that I have selected will have three separate criteria for my research. 1. They face overcrowding. 2. They were not originally designed for housing. Locations I have chosen to conduct my research at the Tempelhof Airport, the Lobeckstraße shelter, Olympiapark, and KarlMarxStr shelter because they face problems of overcrowding, were not designed for housing, and as a result there have been numerous problems reported in the press. The Tempelhof Airport itself has been closed since 2008. Since the building was closed before the start of the refugee crisis it lacks basic infrastructure for housing. There is little “infrastructure no showers, no kitchens, not enough toilets – and partly because due to the pressure of so many crammed together from different nations and ethnic groups there are simmering tensions which often erupt into violence, most recently a mass brawl at the end of November (Bell, 2015).” The Olympiapark area has made temporary housing out of former training areas for athletes in the Olympics. The KarlMarxStr shelter was original a large retail store that had been converted into temporary housing for refugees. The Lobeckstraße shelter was a building connected to a set of football fields that was originally designed as a small sports area with a locker room and a hall for meetings. My controlled location, the GroßBerliner Damm shelter, was originally a hotel. This means that families and couples have private rooms, showers and toilets compared to other sites that have open bunkbed style rooms. While the sight was not specifically designed for permanent living, the conditions certainly provide a much higher standard of living than the other four sights I will survey.
