Qualifications, Potentials and Life Courses of Syrian Asylum Seekers in Germany

Abstract

The Qualifications, potentials and life courses of Syrian asylum seekers (QPLC) survey was motivated by the necessity to understand the experiences, motivations and investment decisions that newly arrived Syrian asylum seekers have or undertake. With the rise of asylum seekers starting in 2014, public debate centered on three major question: who are those arriving in Germany, what are their future prospects in Germany and how can they best be integrated into the German society and labor market.
The study collects data on the life course, potential, and ability of Syrian asylum seekers. It also asked questions on their motivation to integrate and on their expectations about living in Germany.
The target population of the QPLC survey comprised of persons aged 18 or older with Syrian nationality who entered Germany starting from 2014, in order to apply for protection. We conducted 275 interviews in the state of Bavaria, Germany, from May to December 2017 with a response rate of 46.8 percent and a cooperation rate of 55.3 percent.
Interviews were conducted in Arabic by interviewers who spoke the regional Arabic dialect using computer assisted personal interviewing mode (CAPI). Tests were conducted in paper-pencil mode by the interviewer.