The role of length of asylum procedure and legal status in the labour market integration of refugees in Germany

This study examines the role of the length of the asylum procedure and legal status in the integration process among recently arrived refugees in Germany. In particular, we focus on the transition to the first German language course and the transition to first employment. For our empirical investigation, we rely on the newest data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP-Refugee Sample and apply survival analyses techniques. The results show that both procedure length and legal status shape integration processes. First, lengthy asylum procedures impede investments in acquisition of the language of the host society and delay labour market entry. Second, having a decision on the asylum application (irrespective of the outcome) increases the transition rate to the first job and promotes entry into the first language course. Presumably, legal certainty and a corresponding residence permit (even with a shorter-term perspective) are more decisive for the take-up of employment or investment in host country language acquisition. Beyond the outcome and the length of the asylum procedure, the origin country matters: refugees arriving from countries whose citizens have rather high prospects of remaining are quicker to take up a language course, whereas refugees with poor staying prospects manage to enter the labour market promptly to eventually improve their prospects of staying in Germany. We conclude that policymakers should prioritize efficient asylum procedures to create timely legal certainty and to encourage refugees’ integration process.