Support for everyone or selection of some? Self-selection and assignment into a large-scale refugee mentoring program in Germany

Mentoring has become a popular support strategy for recently arrived immigrants and refugees, offering access to valuable information and resources. However, little is known about selection processes into mentoring programs—who chooses to enrol, who receives support, and whether these patterns are systematic. Such selection affects not only program evaluations but also broader issues of refugee integration and social inequality. This study addresses the gap by examining a refugee mentoring program in Germany, using data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees. Results offer limited evidence of self-selection based on needs in job-seeking and legal security. More pronounced selection appears during matching with mentors, where refugees with greater needs are less likely to be matched with a mentor. These patterns highlight the importance of understanding how mentoring ties are formed and suggest that volunteer-based mentoring complements, but cannot replace, more professionalized refugee support programs.