Asylum Policies

Higher welfare benefits significantly reduce criminal charges among refugees, with limited repercussions for their labor market participation.

Publication: external pageSocial Assistance and Refugee Crime

Resources: DownloadResearch Brief (German) (PDF, 455 KB)

Media coverage: external pageSRF Swiss Radio and Television (German), external pageSRF Swiss Radio and Television (German)

Asylum-seekers forced to wait for years while their applications are processed are less likely to find employment.

Publication: external pageWhen Lives are Put on Hold: Lengthy Asylum Processes Decrease Employment among Refugees

Media Coverage: external pageNeue Zürcher Zeitung (German), external pageNCCR on the move, external pageJyllands-Posten (Danish), external pageHeise Online (German), external pageBusiness World, external pageWiener Zeitung (German), external pageTages-Anzeiger (German), external pageswissinfo, external pageBloomberg Business

Imposing employment bans on newly arrived refugees lowers their long-term employment rates and makes them less motivated to integrate.

Publication: external pageThe Long-Term Impact of Employment Bans on the Economic Integration of Refugees

Resources: DownloadResearch Brief (PDF, 273 KB)

Media Coverage: external pageORF Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (German), external pagePhys.org, external pageswissinfo (Italian), ETH News (German)

Restricting refugees' employment opportunities reduces their labor market integration and earnings in the long run.

Publication: external pageThe Labor Market Effects of Restricting Refugees' Employment Opportunities

Resources: DownloadResearch Brief (German) (PDF, 523 KB)

Media Coverage: external pageBlick (German)

Algorithmic assignment of asylum seekers to places which are better suited for their labor market integration could significantly increase refugee employment levels.

Publication: external pageImproving Refugee Integration through Data-Driven Algorithmic Assignment

Resources: DownloadResearch Brief (PDF, 85 KB)

Media Coverage: external pageBBC News, external pageFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (German), external pageSRF Swiss Radio and Television (German), external pageSüddeutsche Zeitung (German)

New asylum seekers are more likely to be employed if they live close to a larger group of people who share their nationality, ethnicity or language.

Publication: external pageEthnic Networks Can Foster the Economic Integration of Refugees

Resources: DownloadResearch Brief (PDF, 267 KB)

Media Coverage: external pageNeue Zürcher Zeitung (German), external pageForbes, external pageCato Institute, external pageSverige Radio (Swedish)

Measuring Integration

We developed a standard module to measure integration levels across immigrant communities and build comparable knowledge about integration which can inform policy development.

Publication: external pageA Multi-Dimensional Measure of Immigrant Integration

Resources: external pageIPL Integration Index Homepage