German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS): Documentation of the Third Wave

Abstract

International migration originating from highly developed countries is a crucial component of global migration flows. There are, however, surprisingly little data about the international mobility of the populations of affluent countries. The German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS) aims to provide a resource that enables the analysis of individual consequences of international migration as well as the socio-structural consequences for the country of origin. GERPS is based on an origin-based multistage probability sample using the German population registers as a sampling frame. The third wave yields a net sample of roughly 5,800 persons who recently moved abroad from Germany and persons who returned from Germany after having lived abroad. The study applies a multidestination-country-design and enables the comparative analysis of migrants and individuals who stayed in the country of origin. GERPS is a panel study with five waves covering a period of 36 months. This documentation presents the methods and data of the third wave of the panel. It provides information for researchers and invites them to use the new data infrastructure for their own research.