Is it a match? The congruence of partnership preferences between Syrian and Afghan refugees and the German population

Abstract

This study examines partnership preferences of male refugees from Afghanistan and Syria who arrived in Germany between 2014 and 2016 and female residents of similar age. Using two comparable factorial survey experiments implemented in the first wave of the PARFORM panel and the ninth wave of the CILS4EU-DE panel, we analyse general tendencies in partnership preferences as well as partnership preferences based on education and religion. Our findings reveal a high willingness among recent male refugees to partner with resident women, whereas resident women exhibit significantly lower openness towards romantic relationships with male refugees. Comparing partnership preferences regarding the religion and education of a potential partner between male refugees and female residents who share similar characteristics reveals that homophily largely governs partner preferences on both sides, but deviations from this pattern point to alternative mechanisms, including status maximization and preservation of cultural identity. Overall, our findings indicate that beyond educational aspirations, cultural and religious distinctions can shape the expression of partner preferences, contributing to substantial asymmetry in intergroup partnership dynamics.