A longitudinal qualitative panel study of settlement experiences of Ukrainian protection-holders in Berlin and Munich

This study report outlines the background context, research questions and design of the project: A longitudinal qualitative panel study of settlement experiences of Ukrainian protection holders in Berlin and Munich. The project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend – BMFSFJ) and conducted from July 2022 - December 2024. The project examined the subjective perspectives of protection-holders from Ukraine regarding their arrival and settlement processes in Germany with regard to the organisation of access to social benefits, healthcare, housing, childcare, and other care work, language training and schooling. Between September 2022 and March 2024, a qualitative longitudinal panel (QLP) study was conducted, including five waves of semi-structured interviews during September–October 2022 (1st wave), November–December 2022 (2nd wave), December 2022–January 2023 (3rd wave), February–March 2023 (4th wave) and February–April 2024 (5th wave). The topics addressed in the interviews included housing and employment situations, childcare, and other care duties, schooling and interactions with state institutions, as well as migration trajectories to and experiences upon arrival in Germany, transnational family and work arrangements and life aspirations. A total of 78 interview transcripts are available at Qualiservice for secondary uses in academic teaching and research.