Abstract
Concerns over a possible brain drain and a failed integration policy have been raised by the emigration of qualified people of Turkish origin. However, there is very little reliable data available regarding the profile and motivations for this in the German-trained workforce. To explore the relative importance of different migration motivations, we conducted an online survey (n = 126). The main finding was that family-related reasons are the most important factor in the emigration to Turkey. In contrast, a negative career outlook and/or discrimination experiences in Germany, highlighted in public discourse, played only a secondary or even a tertiary role. Instead, the emigration motivations of people with and without a migration background are often similar, reflecting increased mobility in a globalised world, a factor confirmed by the fact that a significant number of respondents expressed an intention to return to Germany.
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Notes
- 1.
So far, the statistics of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit only distinguish between non-citizens and Germans, but not between people with and without a migration background.
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Bürgin, A., Erzene-Bürgin, D. (2016). Why People of Turkish Origin Leave Germany and How They Feel in Turkey: Results of an Online Survey. In: Nadler, R., Kovács, Z., Glorius, B., Lang, T. (eds) Return Migration and Regional Development in Europe. New Geographies of Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57509-8_13
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