Geography Ib Migration Case Study
Case Study: Migration: Turkey and Germany
Between 1945 and 1989
Sakaltutan is a village of 900 inhabitants in central Turkey. Until recently it was an isolated and highly dependent on agriculture.
There was high birth rate and it became overpopulated with too many men to work on land and on crafts.
An all weather road was built to encourage trade with neighbouring towns. Increased mechanisation followed and farmers were educated on how to increase their output. Fewer workers were needed and aspirations increased. This lead to urban migration and also migration to West Germany.
Pforzheim is an industrial town in Germany and after WW2 there were more job vacancies than workers. The extra labour was obtained from poor neighbouring countries like Turkey. These “guest workers” were construction labourers and factory workers. Locals did not take these jobs, as they were dirty, unskilled and poorly paid.
The majority of migrants were young males in their 20s. They were skilled at crafts and so obtained jobs in the car industry and construction. In attempts to earn maximum money they lived in poor accommodation, took public transport and skipped meals. There salaries were high in comparison to those in Turkey. There stays extended and often families joined them. By 1980s 3% of German workforce was Turkish.
See Table for advantages and disadvantages to receivers and losers.
In 1973, West German government banned the recruitment of foreign workers. Grants were offered in the 1980s for Turks to return home but few accepted. Fewer than 1% of the Turks took German citizenship as it meant giving up their Turkish nationality.
Since 1990
Still 1.8 million Turks in Germany.
Tension between races.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, those from East Germany competed with Turks for menial jobs. There were high unemployment rates and an economic downturn. The Germans blamed the Turks for tough economic times.
The Turks suffered the most and now
Between 1945 and 1989
Sakaltutan is a village of 900 inhabitants in central Turkey. Until recently it was an isolated and highly dependent on agriculture.
There was high birth rate and it became overpopulated with too many men to work on land and on crafts.
An all weather road was built to encourage trade with neighbouring towns. Increased mechanisation followed and farmers were educated on how to increase their output. Fewer workers were needed and aspirations increased. This lead to urban migration and also migration to West Germany.
Pforzheim is an industrial town in Germany and after WW2 there were more job vacancies than workers. The extra labour was obtained from poor neighbouring countries like Turkey. These “guest workers” were construction labourers and factory workers. Locals did not take these jobs, as they were dirty, unskilled and poorly paid.
The majority of migrants were young males in their 20s. They were skilled at crafts and so obtained jobs in the car industry and construction. In attempts to earn maximum money they lived in poor accommodation, took public transport and skipped meals. There salaries were high in comparison to those in Turkey. There stays extended and often families joined them. By 1980s 3% of German workforce was Turkish.
See Table for advantages and disadvantages to receivers and losers.
In 1973, West German government banned the recruitment of foreign workers. Grants were offered in the 1980s for Turks to return home but few accepted. Fewer than 1% of the Turks took German citizenship as it meant giving up their Turkish nationality.
Since 1990
Still 1.8 million Turks in Germany.
Tension between races.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, those from East Germany competed with Turks for menial jobs. There were high unemployment rates and an economic downturn. The Germans blamed the Turks for tough economic times.
The Turks suffered the most and now