A researcher on the Turkish diaspora says prejudice and discrimination toward migrants force Turks to return to their homeland from Europe so they can pursue a better life.
Zehra Hopyar, from Sakarya University Center for Diaspora Studies, recently told Anadolu Agency (AA) that life in Europe was not as easy as migrants dreamed of. She underlined that brain drain was becoming a nightmare for European dreamers. Hopyar noted that discriminating and prejudiced attitudes toward migrants were “systemic” in Europe.
After World War II, Europe received an influx of migrants from Türkiye, some through “guest worker” agreements and others seeking a higher income amid the postwar construction boom on the continent. Germany today hosts the biggest Turkish community on the continent, mostly descendants of “guest workers.” Hopyar says recent migration differed from the flow of guest workers, but the problems they faced did not change much.
Hopyar stated that social media invoked a false image of a utopic life abroad. She noted that human rights, democracy and equality seemingly prevalent in Europe did not apply to migrants. “Especially in Germany, Turks, even educated and skilled migrants, are confined to stereotypes and are viewed through an Orientalist mindset. Prejudices force them to work in jobs well below their skills,” she said.
“Regardless of their skills, Turks have the same image in the minds of Europeans. For instance, Turkish female migrants are viewed as housewives (without any job qualification) regardless of their background. You may be well educated, but you are still subject to treatment that excludes you. You are confined to do what migrants are supposed to do (in the minds of people of host countries),” she said.
Hopyar also noted how the second or third generation of the Turkish diaspora in Europe faced institutional discrimination, starting from an early age, citing deliberate prevention of students’ admission to better universities. “They face racism and discrimination not just at school but everywhere, from verbal insults to obstacles in finding jobs, promotion or finding a residence," she said.
