DiPAS

Given the social impact of the large number of forced migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan applying for asylum across Europe since fall 2015, it is crucial to study who these individuals are in terms of their skills, motivations, and intentions. The study DiPAS (Displaced Persons in Austria Survey) at the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU) aims to uncover the socio-demographic characteristics of the refuge-seeking persons who arrived in Austria in 2015, with a particular focus on human capital (educational attainment and professional qualifications) as well as attitudes and values. Respondents were also asked about their origins and family backgrounds as well as journey routes and return intentions.

The DiPAS survey, the first of its kind in Austria and possibly in Europe, was carried out in November and December 2015 among adult displaced persons, mostly residing in Eastern Austria in NGO-run facilities of Fonds Soziales Wien, Caritas, Workers’ Samaritan Federation, Red Cross, and Diakonie Austria. Interviews were conducted in Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Pashto, Kurdish, and English. Conceptualization and implementation of the multi-lingual questionnaire was supported by Syrian demographer Dr. Zakarya Al Zalak (IIASA), until recently the director of the Statistical Technical Institute in Damascus.

Based on 514 completed interviews, DiPAS aims to provide substantiated data for political decision-making and on-going societal dialogue. Information gathered on spouses and children (household survey) allows for the analysis of 458 persons living in Austria, and of further 419 partners and children abroad, which shall help to make informed assessments about the integration potential of recently arrived Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans into the Austrian host society. In addition, the applied methodological technique and experiences during the fieldwork shall provide valuable insights on sampling asylum seekers and refugees in the current European context.

• Surveying Syrians in diaspora: Methodological aspects for planning and implementing longitudinal studies
  Kohlenberger, J., Buber-Ennser, I., Rengs, B. and Hosner, R. (2020) In: E.D. Carlson & N.E. Williams (eds.) Comparative demography of the Syrian diaspora: European and Middle Eastern destinations. Springer, Cham, pp. 29-54. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24451-4_3
   
• Demographic profile of Syrians in Austria
  Buber-Ennser, I., Rengs, B., Kohlenberger, J. and Zeman, K. (2020) In: E.D. Carlson & N.E. Williams (eds.) Comparative demography of the Syrian diaspora: European and Middle Eastern destinations. Springer, Cham, pp. 139-162. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24451-4_7
   
• Was wissen wir über die Geflüchteten, die 2015 zu uns kamen?
  Buber-Ennser, I., Kohlenberger, J. and Rengs, B. (2019) In: J. Kohlbacher & M. Six-Hohenbalken (eds.) Die lange Dauer der Flucht – Analysen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis. ISR-Forschungsbericht Heft 49. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien, pp. 109-129.
   
• The effects of stressors and resiliance factors on mental health of recent refugees in Austria.
  Leitner, S., Landesmann, M., Kohlenberger, J., Buber-Ennser, I. and Rengs, B. (2019),  wiiw Working Paper 169, Vienna: The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.
   
• Psychosoziale Gesundheit und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe in Österreich: Zur Prävalenz von Angststörungen und Depressionen unter syrischen, irakischen und afghanischen Geflüchteten.
  Kohlenberger, J., Leitner, S., Buber-Ennser, I. and Rengs, B. (2019), . In: R. Bauböck, C. Reinprecht & W. Sievers (eds.) Flucht und Asyl – internationale und österreichische Perspektiven. Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
   

• Barriers to health care access and service utilization of refugees in Austria: Evidence from a cross-sectional survey.
  Kohlenberger, J., Buber-Ennser, I., Rengs, B., Leitner, S., & Landesmann, M. (2019), Health Policy, doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.01.014.
   

• Die AsylwerberInnen der letzten Jahre sind meist AnalphabetInnen.
  Buber-Ennser, I. and Kohlenberger, J. (2018), In: M. Haller (ed.) Migration & Integration. Fakten oder Mythen? Siebzehn Schlagwörter auf dem Prüfstand.,  Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, pp. 123-135.
   

• Was wissen wir über Geflüchtete, die 2015 nach Österreich kamen?
  Buber-Ennser, I. and Kohlenberger, J. (2018), DerStandard.at Blog (27.6.2018).
  
   
• Multi-layered roles of religion among refugees arriving in Austria around 2015.
  Buber-Ennser, I., Goujon, A., Kohlenberger, J., and Rengs, B. (2018), Religions9(5), online first. doi:10.3390/rel9050154.
   

• Human Capital, Values, and Attitudes of Persons Seeking Refuge in Austria in 2015
  Buber-Ennser, I., Kohlenberger, J., Rengs, B., Al Zalak, Z., Goujon, A., Striessnig, E., Potančoková, M., Gisser, R., Testa, M.R., and Lutz, W. (2016) PLoS ONE 11(9): e0163481.
   

• A social survey on asylum seekers in and around Vienna in fall 2015: Methodological approach and field observations.
  Kohlenberger, J., Buber-Ennser, I., Rengs, B., and Al Zalak Z. (2017), Refugee Survey Quarterly 36(4), 90-109.
   

• Datenerhebungen unter Geflüchteten und ihren Familien: Methodologische Aspekte und Beobachtungen aus dem Feld des "Displaced Persons in Austria Survey (DiPAS)“.[Data Collection among Refugee Seeking Persons and Their Families: Methodological Aspects and Observations from the Field from "Displaced Persons in Austria Survey (Dipas)“]
  Kohlenberger, J., Buber-Ennser, I., and Rengs, B. (2018), In: Olaf Kapella, Norbert Schneider, Harald Rost (ed.) Familie –Bildung – Migration. Tagungsband zum 5. Europäischen Fachkongress Familienforschung. [Family - Education - Migration. Proceedings of the 5th European Conference Family Research]. Opladen, Barbara Budrich, pp. 281-295.

• Immigration and the Social Welfare State in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland: A comparative meta-study.
  Spahl, W., Weiss, S., Kohlenberger, J. and Buber-Ennser, I. (2017), VID Working Paper 18/2017
   

• Labour market profile, previous employment and integration potential of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan: An Austrian case study.
  Rengs, B., Buber-Ennser, I., Kohlenberger, J., Hoffmann, R., Soder, M., Gatterbauer, M., Themel, K., and Kopf, J. (2017), VID Working Paper 13/2017
   

• Le niveau d’instruction des immigrés: varié et souvent plus élevé que dans les pays d’origine [Immigrants' educational attainment: A mixed picture, but often higher than the average in their country of origin]
  Ichou, M., A. Goujon, I. Buber-Ennser, et al. (2017), Idées Économiques et Sociales 189(4), 62-65.
  
   
• Immigrants' educational attainment: A mixed picture, but often higher than the average in their country of origin.
  Ichou, M., A. Goujon, I. Buber-Ennser, et al. (2017), Population and Sociétés 541(1), pp. 1-4.
   

• Who are the refugees who arrived in Europe in the summer and fall of 2015?
  Buber-Ennser, I. and  Kohlenberger, J. (2017), PAA Affairs, 49(Spring), 8.
   

• Gekommen, um zu bleiben? Bildung, Werte und Ziele von Geflüchteten in Österreich.
  Buber-Ennser, I. (2017), Demografische Forschung aus Erster Hand, 14(2), 1-2. 
   

• Methodological approach and field observations
  VID Working Paper 6/2016
   

• Understanding the Syrian Educational System in a Context of Crisis
  VID Working Paper 9/2016
   

• Asielzoekers in Oostenrijk
  DEMOS, Jahrgang 32, Nummer 10
  
   
• Flüchtlinge und Geflüchtete: Wer kam 2015 nach Österreich?
  Kepler Salon (06.02.2017) - www.kepler-salon.at
   

• Refugees in Europe Their Human Capital, Values, and Attitudes Exclusive findings from a new study on Austria
  Population Europe Webinar (06.10.2016)
   

• Values, and Attitudes of Persons Seeking Refuge in Austria in 2015
  Ringvorlesung “Mehr als Flucht” (Universität Wien) (05.05.2017)
   

• Wer sind die Flüchtlinge?
  Kinderuni Wien (12.07.2016)