Echoes of Violence: Unpacking the Effects of Terrorism on Refugee Mental Health in Germany

Abstract

Acts of xenophobic terrorism directed at refugees have risen sharply in Germany since the beginning of the European Migration Crisis in 2014. Unfortunately, this is not the only form of violence that refugees have to endure. Even after settling in Germany, many refugees that stay connected to their country of origin are repeatedly exposed to the ongoing violence there. In addition, and to make matters more difficult, refugees are often made responsible for religious fundamentalist attacks in Europe. Despite the importance of these issues, almost no research exists documenting the relationship between these different forms of terrorism and refugee mental health. This topic is of crucial importance as refugees are particularly vulnerable to shocks to mental health. This paper attempts to close that gap in the literature by using regression discontinuity design to study the impact of xenophobic violence, terrorism in the country of origin, and religious fundamentalist terrorism in Europe on refugee mental health. I find that xenophobic violence triggers a severe drop in self-perceived mental health among refugees, in particular for women and younger refugees. The results indicate that refugees are also psychologically affected by terrorist attacks in their respective home countries, regardless of their country of origin. I find no consistent effect with regard to religious fundamentalist terrorism in Europe. I finalize by providing policy recommendations to improve refugee integration in Germany. Concretely, I urge the German government to make a more substantial effort to support refugees in their integration process and to provide mental health resources to refugees after major violent attacks have occurred. I also recommend the government to more actively police right-wing manifestations as they carry a considerable potential for violent action.