Anti-refugee Violence and Social Marginalization of Refugees: Evidence from Germany

Abstract

The integration of refugees is a widely debated issue, yet scholarly discussions often overlook a crucial factor: The role of host society hostility in shaping this process. Across Europe, the erosion of social norms has emboldened xenophobic discourse, fueling a surge in anti-refugee sentiments. As hostility toward refugees intensifies, a critical question emerges: How does this environment affect the lived experiences of refugees themselves? One key yet underexplored aspect of refugee experiences is social marginalization, the perception of being unappreciated, excluded, or unwelcome in society. This paper contributes to the growing literature on host society antagonism by examining how anti-refugee violence in Germany influences social marginalization among refugees. Drawing on the German Socio-Economic Panel surveys from 2016 to 2017, linked to administrative data on anti-refugee violence from the Anti Refugee Violence in Germany (ARVIG) project, the study employs multilevel modeling to assess this relationship. The findings show that refugees living in counties with higher levels of anti-refugee violence report significantly greater social marginalization. These results underscore the importance of considering the broader socio-political climate of the host society when analysing integration and assimilation outcomes.