The ENTRA Survey: Recent Immigration Processes and Early Integration Trajectories in Germany

The main objective of the ENTRA (Recent Immigration Processes and Early Integration Trajectories in Germany) Survey was to collect data on new immigrants in Germany that capture immigration and settlement dynamics as well as integration trajectories. The study consists of a two-wave panel survey of four different immigrant groups: Italians, Poles, Syrians, and Turks. In the first wave, new immigrants were interviewed in the first years of their stay in Germany. About a year and a half later, they were interviewed a second time to track their early integration progress. During the survey period from 10.05.2019 to 31.10.2019 (Wave 1) und 20.11.2020 to 21.04.2021 (Wave 2), immigrants from Italy, Poland, Syria, and Turkey between the ages of 18 and 40 were surveyed in online interviews (CAWI), telephone interviews (CATI), and in-person interviews (CAPI) about various aspects of immigrant integration, including language skills and use, ethnic and national identities, ethnic boundaries, political participation, religious affiliation and practices, social contacts and networks, educational attainment, labor market participation, and health. Respondents were selected through a two-stage sampling procedure. In the first step, the five cities with the largest immigration flows were selected for each group based on data from migration statistics and the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR). In the second step, again separately for each immigrant group, a random sample of target individuals was drawn from the cities´ population registers. The panel study was designed as a multimodal survey conducted in the national language of each immigrant group. A total of 4,448 immigrants and refugees participated in the first wave of the survey, and longitudinal data from both panel waves are available for 3,366 cases. The additional COVID-19 survey was conducted in May/June 2020. Only a small sample of questions from the main survey was included in the questionnaire, while several questions about the COVID-19 situation were added. Unlike the first and second waves, the COVID-19 survey was conducted as an online survey only.<br>I. Waves 1 and 2:

A. Demography: Migration Biography: date of leaving the country; date of arrival in Germany (year, month, day); lived in a refugee camp; respondent knew people in Germany before moving (from own country, from Germany or from other countries, did not know people in Germany); spent time in Germany before; first time in Germany (month and year); number of trips to Germany before moving; time spent in Germany before (in years and months); visited the country since moving/ wave 1; number of trips to the country since moving/ wave 1.

Migration motives: reasons for moving to Germany; family members the respondent joined.

Current Situation: future migration expectancies; intention to stay in Germany (in years).

Legal situation: residential status (temporary, permanent or no residence permit); kind of temporary residence permit; residence permit until year and month; work permit; applied for asylum in Germany; joined a family member whose asylum request has been accepted in Germany.

Relationship: marital status; in relationship; same partner as last survey; information on partner: age, country of origin; place of residence; year and month of arrival Germany; expect partner to move to Germany in the next twelve months.

Children: number of children; age of these children; place of residence of these children; expect children to move to Germany in the next twelve months; children six years or younger living in the household; use of public childcare (day nursery, Kindergarten, none of this).

Parents: place of birth of mother and father; place of residence; expect mother and father to move to Germany in the next twelve months.

People in household: size of household; number of household members related to the respondent by birth, marriage, partnership, or adoption; number of rooms in the household.

Relatives from the country: expect relatives to move to Germany in the next twelve months; number of relatives expected to move to Germany in the next twelve months; relatives moved to Germany since last survey; number of children that moved to Germany since last survey; number of relatives that moved to Germany since last survey; expect relatives to move to Germany in the next twelve months; expect own children, mother, father or other relatives to move to Germany in the next 12 months; number of children expected to move to Germany in the next twelve months; number of relatives expected to move to Germany in the next twelve months; schoolkids; plans on German citizenship application.

B. Language:
Speaking and understanding: country language proficiency (reading and writing); German language proficiency before moving; German language proficiency at present (understanding, speaking, reading, writing); German skills in everyday life (reading and understanding the main points in simple newspaper articles on familiar topics, speaking about familiar topics and expressing personal opinions in a conversation); learned German in school before moving to Germany; years of learning German before moving; actively tried to improve German language skills before moving; kind of investment in German language before moving (language classes, self-study, other); actively tried to improve German language skills since moving/ wave 1; investment in German language since moving/ wave 1 (integration course, language classes, self-study, other); participation in German language course or integration course; highest German language level certificate received; language certificate received for language since moving/ wave 1.

Language use: frequency of German language use with partner, children, friends and with others; frequency of German language use in media consumption.

English skills: speaking English for at least some degree; English language proficiency.

C: Identity and exclusion: belonging and experiences:
Identification and belonging: belonging to group; closeness to this group, to country people to members of own ethnic group, to inhabitants of the resident city, to Germans, to Europeans, to a religious group.

Feelings of acceptance and perceived discrimination: agreement with the following statements: in general, Germany is a welcoming country for country people, in general, country people can get ahead in Germany if they work hard; expectation to become truly German one day; importance to become truly German; rating of unfair treatment of country people in Germany; treated unfairly in Germany since moving/ wave 1; reasons for unfair treatment (born in a different country, strong accent, different religion, jobless, different cultures and traditions, foreign citizenship.

Satisfaction with migration decision and current situation:
connection felt with Germany; frequency of feeling like an outsider in Germany; rating of the current living situation compared with the living situation before leaving the country and compared to first survey; life satisfaction in Germany; how difficult/ easy is it to see a doctor in Germany, to search for a job in Germany.

Perceived compatibility of cultures and acculturation attitude:
Contact preferences for social activities; the values of Germans and country people are irreconcilable/ totally different; both the husband and wife should contribute to the household income; men should take as much responsibility as women for the home and children; On the whole, men make better political leaders than women do; when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women; a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl; approvement if a woman wants to have a child as a single parent but no stable relationship with a man; a woman has to have children in order to be fulfilled.

Politics and attitudes about democracy:
Understanding of important political issues facing the country; interest in country politics; time spent on news about politics and current affairs in country (hours and minutes); frequency of political discussions about major political issues facing the country in the last twelve months; understanding of important political issues facing Germany; political interest in German politics; time spent on news about politics and current affairs in Germany (hours and minutes); frequency of political discussions about major political issues facing Germany in the last twelve months; political party which isn’t in the German Parliament; age when country people can vote in Germany (Syrians only); preferred political party in Germany; kind of political participation in Germany since last survey; kind of political participation in the country since last survey.

D: Religion and faith:
Religious belonging: Religious affiliation; religious affiliation in detail (Christians, Muslims, other).

Religious practices before migration: frequency of attending religious worship before moving to Germany; how often pray outside of communal prayers before migration; how often fast during Ramadan, Muharrem, Lenten season before migration; how often ware a headscarf before migration.

Religious practices after migration: frequency of religious worship; how many adults speak own native language in place of religious worship; religiosity; frequency of praying outside of communal prayers; frequency of praying outside of religious worship; fasted during last Ramadan, last Muharrem, last Lenten season; frequency of wearing a headscarf outside of home.

E: Social integration: friends and contacts:
Social integration: bonding and bridging ethnic ties: time spend with country people, with Germans and with other people (frequency); frequency of eating dinner with Germans who are not part of the family in the last twelve months; number of Germans contacted via phone, chat, or text in the last four weeks; number of people outside of Germany contacted via phone, messenger chat, or text; place of living of these contacted people outside of Germany.

Social Integration: Core Network – Strong Ties:
Number of people in Germany important personal matters are discussed with; number of these people who are originally from the country of origin; information on up to three persons: country of birth; country of origin of the family; country where the respondent first met the person; educational level; main activity; how did the respondent meet this person; relationship between the mentioned people: friends; frequency of contact with these persons; person helped with challenges in everyday life.

F: Education: learning and education:
Years of education (total); years of education in the country of origin; years of education in Germany.

Education in the country of origin: highest degree of education in Poland/ Italy/ Turkey/ Syria; continued education in the country of origin after completing this degree; type of school last attended; highest degree completed in Poland/ Italy/ Turkey/ Syria (ISCED 2011); education (ISCED 1997 und 2011; type of study program last attended; reason for leaving school without degree; month and year the respondent last attended school in the country; tried to get educational degree accepted by official German institution; educational degree accepted by official German institution.

Education since leaving the country: currently in education (no language classes or integration classes); type of school; type of study program; type of vocational school; plan to complete a degree in Germany; highest degree aiming for in Germany; plan to complete vocational training in Germany; educational degree completed in Germany; highest educational degree completed in Germany; completed degree in another country; highest degree completed in this other country.

Education Partner: Years of education; highest education degree; main activity.

G: Labor market: jobs and household:
Employment situation: main activity before moving to Germany; information on last job before moving: job position; number of employees (self-employed); job title (KldB2010, ISCED-08, EGP, ISEI-08, SIOPS-08); work hours; end of job (year and month).

Last job before move: job position; permanent or fixed-term employment contract; last job before moving: public sector;

Current employment situation: currently working; current main activity if not working; ever worked in Germany before moving to Germany; time worked in Germany before moving to Germany (years and months).

Current job in Germany: job position; first job since moving; ever worked in Germany since moving/ wave 1); end (year and month) of wave 1 job (if not worked since wave 1); last job since wave 1 same as in wave 1; employment contract; work hours; end of job (year and month).

Current Job wave 2 same as in wave 1; employment contract; work hours; number of jobs since moving/ wave 1; time worked in total since moving/ wave 1 (years and months); time worked in total in Germany (years and months).

Current job wave 1/ wave 2 is a new job: job position; employment contract; working in public sector; job position if self-employed; number of employees; job title (KldB2010, ISCED-08, EGP, ISEI-08, SIOPS-08); start of job (year and month); how did the respondent find the job; work hours.

Information on employment situation of partner.

Labor market: remittance: household net income; sent money to the country of origin since moving/ wave 1; sent money for personal savings, to family, to friends; received money from relatives or friends living in the country of origin since moving to Germany/wave 1.

H: Health: personality and well-being:
Health: resilience: I tend to bounce back quicky after hard times; it does not take me long to revocer from a stressful event; I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one, I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete; I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest; I finish what ever I begin; I am diligent; I am a hard worker.

Health: self-rated health; loneliness and perceived social isolation: I experience a general sense von emptiness; there are many people I can trust completely; there are plenty of people I can rely on when I have problems; there are enough people I feel close to; I miss having people around; I often feel rejected.

Mental health: mental condition in the past twelve months: frequency of feeling nervous, hopeless, restless or fidgety, depressed, that everything was an effort, worthless; trauma: ever witnesses or feared a situation of serious violence (someone else, self); relative or friend died violently.

Reasons for leaving Germany; reasons why others recognize foreign roots; skin color (tone); relatives moved to Germany since last survey; religiosity; religious affiliation; religious affiliation in detail: Christians, Muslims, other); residence permit until month and year; resident status of sample population; residential status; residential status (detailed); same day as arrival, same partner as last survey.

Self-assed likelihood of problems in the next twelve months (children problems at school, drastically lowered standard of living, loose apartment, loose job, no longer support for relatives/ friends in the country of origin, payment difficulties).

Demography: sex; age; country of birth; country of growing up; citizenship; native language; region and province the respondent grew up (NUTS2-2016 Italy, NUTS3-2016 Italy, NUTS 2-2016 Poland, NUTS3-2016 Poland, region Syria (semi NUTS1, NUTS2-2016 Turkey, NUTS3-2016 Turkey); origin of partner.

II. COVID-19 survey

A: Basic and remigration: country of residence; remigration due to the coronavirus pandemic; plan to return to Germany when the situation allows; children who usually go to school.

B: COVID-19:
Hardship: likeliness of: lose job, run into payment difficulties, drastically lower standard of living, lose the apartment, won’t be able to support relatives or friends anymore, children will get problems at school; experiences like lost job or ran into payment difficulties are related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Burden: experience of the following during the coronavirus pandemic: problems finding/ understanding information about the coronavirus pandemic and behavioral guidelines, having COVID-19 symptoms, COVID-19 symptoms in family members or friends, being at increased risk for an infection, problems with access to healthcare, mediation, or sanitation, being unable to pursue private travel plans, feeling restricted to leave home, being unable to visit sick family members or friends, problems with childcare of home schooling, tensions at home or family conflict; rating how burdensome this was.

C: Social integration:
Social integration: Bonding and Bridging ethnic ties: daily life experiences under measures to combat the coronavirus: frequencies of spending time with people from the country, with Germans, and with people who are neither from the country nor from Germany; number of people outside of Germany the respondent has a conversation with; where to most of these people live.

D: Language:
Language use: frequency of speaking German with friends, with other people in everyday life; frequency of media consumption in German language.
Language: German skills: rating of German skills at present (understanding, speaking, reading, writing).

E: identity and exclusion:
Identity: voluntary activities during the coronavirus pandemic; received any help from volunteers.
Identification and belonging: closeness to the inhabitants of the city, to Germans, to country people, and to Europeans.

F: Religion:
Religious practices: religiosity; frequency of praying outside of communal prayers and outside of religious worship.

G: Labor market:
Changes in employment situation due to COVID19: current main activity; employment situation has changed due to the coronavirus pandemic (lost my job, quitted my job); concrete changes of the employment situation; change of working hours due to the coronavirus pandemic.

H: Health and personality:
Self-rated health; loneliness and perceived social isolation: general sense of emptiness; plenty people I can rely on when I have problems; many people I can trust completely; enough people I feel close to; I miss having people around; I often feel rejected.

Mental health: mental condition during the past month: frequency of feeling nervous, hopeless, restless or fidgety, depressed, that everything was an effort, worthless.

COVID-19 - affected: ever tested positive for the coronavirus; member of household or family ever tested positive for the coronavirus; household member or family member with a positive test.

Demography: sex; age; household size.

Additionally coded were: respondent ID; interviewer ID; wave; group country of origin; mode of interview; recruitment batch (wave 1); date of interview; date and time of interview; interview duration; other people present while survey; interference of others during the interview; participation in wave 2; percentage of Balkan households, of Eastern European households, of ethnic German resettlers households, of German households, of Greek households, Hispanic, Portuguese/ Latino households, at municipality level, postcode level, and postcode8 level; percentage of households with a Hauptschulabschluss, with a Realschulabschluss, with Abitur, with Fachhochschulabschluss, with no/ other school qualification , at municipality level, postcode level, and postcode8 level; percentage of Italian household, of non-European Islamic households, of other country-specific households, of South/East/Southeast Asian households, of sub-Saharan African households, of Turkish households, at different municipality level, postcode level, and postcode8 level); percentage of unemployment at municipality level, postcode level, and postcode8 level; percentage of foreigners at municipality level, postcode level, postcode8 level, and at street segment level; socio-economic status distribution at municipality level, postcode level, postcode8 level, and at street segment level; family structures at street segment level (ordinal); time to complete the interview; duration of stay (months); resident status of sample population; immigration date: month and year of leaving the country; same day as arrival; land, house, or apartment in the country of origin; owner or investor of store or business in the country; gave money for collective projects in the country;
knowledge of other people who participated in the survey; number of household members that also participated in the survey; Digit-Symbol-Test – correct items (score); Digit-Symbol-Test – No. of items processed.