Abstract
This PhD dissertation comprises three chapters on migration and education economics, with each chapter consisting of an independent research article. The first chapter is joined work with Steven Stillman, investigating the influence of right-wing voting on the integration of asylum seekers who are randomly assigned to municipalities within Germany. Our findings reveal that in municipalities where the right-wing party, AfD, receives greater support, refugees experience poorer social integration outcomes. This effect is particularly strong for refugee groups targeted by AfD campaigns, the likelihood of positive interactions with local residents decreases, and negative attitudes towards immigration spill over to supporters of other parties. Conversely, stronger support for pro-immigrant parties enhances social integration. The second chapter is joined work with Lisa Sofie Höckel and studies the effect of separate preparatory language learning classes on the academic success of primary school-aged refugee children in comparison to their direct integration into regular classrooms. Using the quasi-random allocation of refugee children to neighborhoods and, consequently, schools, we find that attending preparatory classes leads to lower standardized test scores and a slightly lower probability of attending the academic track. The last chapter, co-authored with Federico Maggio, investigates the impact of a workshop targeting high school students’ professional pathways. Using a randomized controlled trial in South Tyrolean schools, we evaluate its effects on performance, future orientation, and psychological outcomes. Results show reduced stress levels but no significant effects on academic performance, knowledge of post-school options, or personal outcomes.