Public Attitudes Toward Undocumented Migration in Germany: A Conjoint Experiment on the Impact of Informational Frames

This project examines how people in Germany evaluate undocumented migrants and the conditions under which they are viewed as deserving of public support. Undocumented migrants—those whose asylum claims have been rejected, whose visas have expired, or who cannot return to their home countries due to conflict or persecution—have limited formal rights yet remain central to public and political debates. Drawing on deservingness theory and the CARIN framework, the study investigates how characteristics such as control, attitude, reciprocity, identity, and need shape public judgments. The project uses a multi-stage experimental design. Respondents are first exposed to one of several macro-level information frames (humanitarian, economic contribution, or public-service strain) or a placebo. The design incorporates a PICA-2 selective-exposure structure, which allows respondents either to choose the type of information they wish to view or to be randomly assigned. Following information exposure, respondents complete a paired-profile conjoint experiment evaluating hypothetical undocumented migrants described by CARIN-based attributes. This approach allows estimation of average treatment effects, selective-exposure effects, and the relative weight of each deservingness cue. The project offers a comprehensive analysis of how micro-level characteristics and macro-level narratives jointly shape public support for undocumented migrants in Germany.