Refugee Survey

In 2015, we teamed up with Adopt a Revolution to conduct a survey of Syrian refugees living in Germany. At the time, everyone in Europe was talking about the refugee crisis and potential solutions, but no one was consulting with Syrians or listening to them. With Adopt a Revolution and a German academic research centre, we conducted a survey of 1,500 Syrian refugees.

The findings of the survey helped dispel some common myths about the refugee crisis. We found that the vast majority of refugees were fleeing the Syrian regime and not ISIS. Their main concerns were around aerial attacks and forced disappearance. Most wanted to return, but in order for them to be able to do so, airstrikes and detention had to stop.

This evidence-based information helped generate a lot of media coverage both in Germany and the EU more widely. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly referred to the survey twice in one day. Our research was critical to helping shape policies on the refugee crisis that were rooted in the experiences and demands of those most affected by it.