Staatsbürgerschaftsbonus beim Wohnen?

In all countries in Europe that are a target of immigration, migrant integration is a major topic of discussion. In this connection, the importance of socio-economic, cultural and demographic factors is emphasized. Questions concerning the direction of the causal relationship between integration and naturalization have not, as yet, been conclusively answered. General public opinion usually does not question the notion that becoming a citizen of a targeted immigration country is the last step of the integration process. Isn´t this an oversimplification? Although naturalization can be considered an important result of integration, it is also part of the integration process itself, since a change in citizenship can also bring improvements in job and housing possibilities. It is often not possible to determine the direction of cause and effect empirically. As has often been shown, changes in a migrant´s status in the labour market are a major result of naturalization. However, changes in housing market integration have been researched very little. The smooth integration of migrants into the housing market is, however, a process that has lasting significance on the receiving society. Ethnic segmentation and segregation represent important social-spatial phenomena in the context of living conditions of populations with a migrant background. Some central questions that still remain to be answered are whether naturalization has an effect on integration into the housing market, on social segregation patterns, on the quality of living and on housing preferences. These are just some of the questions being examined in the framework of this ISR project report.