The research unit examines the topic of immigration and integration from different perspectives. On the cultural dimension, migration raises questions of national identity, and – particularly under the influence of Muslim immigration – of state-church relationships. The social dimension deals with the importance of social capital and civil society structures for the integration of immigrants. Politically, the issue of migration has given new topicality to the question of "citizenship", i.e. a person's belonging to a particular political and social community. Economically, migration is a challenge for the European welfare states.

Although European countries have been confronted with comparable immigration flows and integration problems, they have often dealt with them in widely divergent ways. Immigration and integration policies are strongly influenced by national political-cultural traditions and political institutions. The department's research is therefore consistently internationally comparative, focusing on the connections between institutional structures, integration policy and their effects in the above-mentioned areas.