Consequences of a temporary suspension of removal (Duldung) on life situation and life satisfaction ,
The Brief Analysis is only available in German.The BAMF Brief Analysis 3|2024 compares the living situation of people with a negative asylum decision whose deportation has been temporarily suspended (tolerated stay - Duldung) with the living situation of recognised asylum seekers. The comparison seeks to achieve a deeper insight into the integration progress and subjective well-being of people with tolerated status. The IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees serves as the data basis. The Brief Analysis is the second publication from the project "Feasibility study on the im-/mobility of people oblidged to leave the country in Germany" (MIMAP). In addition to the living situation of people with tolerated status, the project also analyses the aspirations for returning, staying and moving on.
According to the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR), there were around 242,000 people in Germany at the end of 2023 who were legally obliged to leave the country. Around 55 percent of these people were required to leave the country due to a negative asylum decision. The proportion of people in this group with a tolerated status is 87 percent (around 119,000 people). Their living situation and satisfaction is the subject of this Brief Analysis, which uses the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees (2016-2020) as the data basis. Recognised asylum seekers who are similar to people with tolerated status in terms of country of origin and socio-structural characteristics were identified as a comparison group in the data. In addition to age, gender, and country of origin, the groups are comparable in terms of German language skills on arrival and education in the country of origin. This makes it possible to analyse the effects of a tolerated status on the living situation and life satisfaction without bias caused by socio-demographic factors.
Key results
People with tolerated status hardly differ from comparable recognised asylum seekers in terms of labour force participation and German language acquisition.
The participation of people with tolerated status in the labour market is comparable to that of people with the right to stay. However, people with tolerated status participate less frequently in language and integration courses in the first few years of their stay. As the length of stay increases, participation in language courses increases among people with tolerated stay, so that they catch up over time. Nevertheless, recognized asylum seekers rate their language skills slightly better than people with tolerated status. In contrast to language skills, there is a clear difference in the housing situation over the entire duration of stay: people with tolerated status live more frequently and for longer in shared accommodation.
People with tolerated status are increasingly dissatisfied over time
People with tolerated status are more worried about not being able to stay in Germany and are more likely to feel unwelcome. They also rate their health worse and live in comparatively poor housing conditions. These aspects contribute to the fact that people with tolerated status are more dissatisfied with their lives despite increasing social participation. The longer recognized asylum seekers live in Germany, the more satisfied they are with their lives. In contrast, the satisfaction of people with tolerated status decreases over time. There is a need for further research on how the low life satisfaction of people with a tolerated status affects their motivation to participate or corre-sponds to risks of radicalisation and crime.
The opportunity right of residency (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht) can motivate further social participation.
The Brief Analysis develops initial hypotheses on the possible effects of the opportunity right of residency on the living situation of people with tolerated status. The analyses suggest that "the opportunity right of residency" could improve the living situation of people who previously had a tolerated status. The opportunity right of residency could make it possible to leave shared accommodation earlier, which could have a positive effect on language acquisition by increasing the number of opportunities to use the language. The subjective well-being of those entitled to the opportunity right of residency can also increase significantly.
The Brief Analysis was written by: Randy Stache
The Brief Analysis is only available in German.