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The integration of a high number of refugees in Germany is intensely discussed in political and civil society. The aim of this article is to explore refugees' paths into the housing market and the impact on refugees' integration into urban society. For a comprehensive insight into the housing situation of the refugees, we have chosen the city of Cologne because it is one of the four largest German cities. To highlight different perspectives, we conducted guided interviews with representatives of local governmental and nongovernmental institutions that are engaged with the housing situation of refugees. Additionally, we interviewed 21 refugees mainly from Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The statements of both groups show a difficult transition from refugee accommodation into the housing market. In the highly competitive situation, refugees rarely manage to access this market through common paths. Social networks proved to be most important to finding an apartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of refugees with prospects of remaining in the country has noticeably shifted into the focus of public attention and is presently being addressed in numerous research projects as well. Our contribution aims to address the significance, which the various contacts or networks, respectively, hold for the integration of the refugees. Issues of particular interest are how contacts to friends and families are maintained, what role these contacts play in the refugees' daily lives, how new social contacts are established in the arrival context, and which factors may ease or hinder the creation of new contacts. Based on the assumption that integration processes of migrants and refugees are influenced to a large extent by the prevailing local context, we investigated whether there are differences between a metropolitan situation (city of Cologne) and a small or medium-sized setting (district of Heinsberg) in the social contacts and networks of the refugees. In both distinct local contexts, which are located in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), we conducted qualitative interviews with 41 refugees in total. All interviews were recorded, subsequently transcribed and analysed using a largely inductive category scheme. Due to the exceptional situation of the flight and the assignment of a place of residence by the state, similarly escaped relatives and friends from the past usually live in other parts of Germany or even in other countries, and therefore cannot serve as a localised network to cushion the individual's arrival. Within the arrival context, contacts to other refugees who share the same or a similar background and language provide an important source of practical support and emotional backing. Bridging ties to members of the receiving society are most likely to be established through language courses and volunteer initiatives. Here, the openness and proactive attitude of the refugees prove to be an important factor. The metropolis offers abundant opportunities for new but fleeting social contacts. In the context of small and medium-sized towns, the greater manageability imbues the newly developing networks with greater stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the family in the international migration of highly skilled migrants has often been disregarded. Highly skilled labour migrants follow a concrete job offer abroad and are structurally integrated into the new environment through the work place. On the contrary, the migration of family members is subject to different conditions since most accompanying partners initially do not work. However, accompanying partners are described as managers of the settling-in process of the whole family [Yeoh, Brenda, and Katie Willis. 2004. “Constructing Masculinities in Transnational Space: Singapore Men on the ‘Regional Beat’.” InTransnational Spaces, edited by Peter Jackson, Philip Crang, and Claire Dwyer, 147–163. London: Routledge] and their experiences can be crucial for the duration of their stay. Our paper explores the experiences of mobility of highly skilled migrants’ accompanying partners in Germany and in the UK with regard to their strategies and practices during the settling-in process. The main focus is on the role of language, the establishment of new social networks and labour market participation. The paper draws on the concept of capital accumulation and conversion [Bourdieu, Pierre. 1986. “The Forms of Capital.” InEducation: Culture, Economy, and Society, edited by Albert Henry Halsey, 46–58. New York: Oxford University Press] and asks how partners make use of their cultural capital language after migration. Our paper is based on empirical studies in Germany and in the UK, which focus on the migration and settling-in processes of highly skilled professionals and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses family migration amongst highly-skilled professionals. Drawing on the concept of linked lives, it analyses how the linked lives of parents and children affect integration processes after international migration. The article is based on qualitative interviews with highly-skilled migrants and their accompanying partners in Germany and Great Britain. The analysis illustrates how parents try to reestablish stability and security in their children's lives after migration. It reveals common concerns. However, some of the parent's strategies are location-specific. The results indicate that the parent's efforts for their children's integration also have an effect on their own integration. Given the importance of children in the integration process, the paper suggests paying more attention to the children's perspective in future migration research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the living situations of highly-skilled migrants in Germany, taking managers and persons working in the arts in North Rhine-Westphalian cities as examples. With reference to integration concepts as well as approaches to transnational migration and translocality, the results of qualitative guideline-based interviews conducted with these groups are presented. The focus is on the highly-skilled migrants' professional work conditions, their translocal mobility practices, as well as their shaping of everyday practices and networks in their German places of residence. The depicted networks and translocal practices of highly-skilled migrants reveal existing integration options and aspirations. Both, options and aspirations, are limited both by the temporality of their stays, their heavy workloads, their often limited knowledge of the German language, their focus on international networks and only little interest for social contacts on the part of the host society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global competition for highly-skilled professionals and their knowledge has grown over the past decades. Cities have increasingly become aware of the importance of highly-skilled labour for their future development. The aim of our paper is to analyse urban policies towards highly-skilled migrants. Our paper is based on empirical research in three German university cities, Aachen, Bonn and Cologne. Our results emphasize that there is a growing awareness of local policy-makers concerning this topic. We found that the cities made efforts to create a welcoming culture in order to attract and retain highly-skilled migrants. However, there are differences between our cities regarding their approaches to attract highly-skilled migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social model for old age is a self-determined and socially integrated life for as long as possible. In this regard, different settings offer different conditions. The article investigates which living conditions best meet the needs of elderly people. It is based on results from the FRAME (leisure mobility of elderly people) research project, which examines the everyday mobility of persons aged 60 and older in different urban settings. The results show that an active lifestyle is possible in all the study areas, but that the preconditions for withdrawal into one's own neighbourhood vary between different residential areas. In general, the importance of basic supply resources and leisure facilities within the residential environment and a preferably rail-bound public transport connection to the city centre need to be pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]