Migration from Turkey to Germany

Why Germany needed migration?

• After 2nd World War – Germany had a labour shortage – for factories e.g Volkswagen, BMW, Grundig

• Working conditions were amongst the best in Europe

Why Turkish workers migrated?

• Turkish people saw the opportunities in Germany

• Turkey was relatively poor, little social services , job opportunities.

• They worked in Construction (building), Car manufacturing, Manufacturing electrical goods

• They mainly moved in the 1970’s

Who moved?

• The Germans needed manual labourers – people to do jobs they did not want to do

• It was mostly young skilled men (aged 20 – 40) who moved

• They lived in hostels and sent money back to their families at home

• Sometimes the family would join the workers in Germany

Effects on Germany

Economic

• Money was leaving the country as Turks sent home (between 1975 – 1980 - $900 million was sent home)

• The Germans needed the Turks after the war but recessions in the 70’s and early 90’s led to high unemployment. This cost the country a lot in benefits etc

Effects on Germany

Political• The government had to make stricter immigration

controls

• Peoples worry about immigration led to the growth of Right wing and racist groups (e.g neo Nazis)

Effects on Germany

Social• Racist groups started hate attacks on immigrants

• The Turkish workers (gastabeiter) cannot become German citizens and therefore do not have equal rights. Even if they have lived for 20yrs in Germany they are still seen as outsiders.

Effects on Turkey

• Less unemployment in Turkey • Money sent home from Germany = more than what

Turks normally earn at home = good for Turkish economy

• Many males leaving = broken families,

• Less workers in Turkey especially in farming

• Most able = leave for Germany; only the bad workers stay!

• Less men will causes problems in Turkey

Facts and figures

• In 2000 the number of foreigners in Germany was 7.3 million which was 8.9% of the total population

• 2 million of these came from Turkey!

• This includes 750,000 turkish who were born in Germany!

• Another ½ million Turks have become German citizens since 1972