A new study conducted by Siegen University has exposed deep-rooted name-based discrimination in Germany’s job market, finding that applicants with Arabic or Turkish names receive far fewer responses from employers than those with German-sounding names, regardless of qualifications – a sign of systemic racism that persists decades after the first migration waves.
The research, titled “Educational Places: Origin More Important Than Performance,” found that applicants perceived as non-European receive significantly fewer responses from employers, regardless of qualifications. Over 50,000 applications were submitted under various names, revealing stark disparities based solely on perceived ethnic or religious background.
When 100 applications were sent under the German-sounding name “Lukas Becker,” 67 elicited responses. In contrast, the Arabic-sounding name “Habiba Mahmoud” received only 36 replies, the lowest rate recorded, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported. The second lowest was for “Yusuf Kaya,” a Turkish name, with just 52 responses. The study noted that grades and professional performance were disregarded, with recruiters focusing instead on hints of the applicant’s origin or religion.
Dr. Ali Zafer Sağıroğlu, director of the Center for Migration Studies at the Migration Research Foundation, said the findings illustrate how people whose names clearly indicate they are not European are “kept in a separate tier” and denied equal career opportunities. He emphasized that even more than 60 years after the first wave of Turkish migration, racism and discrimination remain deeply rooted in German society.
“This form of institutionalized racism is both visible and measurable,” Sağıroğlu said, noting that Arabs, Turks, and Russians face higher rates of rejection or no response at all. “The study proves that those whose names reveal they are Muslim or non-European are treated as a separate category, facing significant career discrimination.”
Sağıroğlu warned that Islamophobia represents a distinct and targeted form of bias. “People are discriminated against solely because they are Muslim – culturally and religiously. This is a painful reality that must be addressed,” he said. He linked the persistence of such prejudice to the rise of far-right political rhetoric following the 2015 refugee influx and the COVID-19 pandemic, which fueled anti-immigrant sentiment.
While some European governments have taken steps to combat racism, Sağıroğlu said ongoing incidents show these measures are insufficient. “The results demonstrate that people from outside Europe are still not fully accepted here. Even after decades, they continue to face discrimination,” he said, adding that Europe has “a long way to go” in ensuring equality, democracy, and human rights.
The researcher also pointed to the political rise of far-right parties over the past decade, many of which openly promote xenophobia and oppose immigration. He urged German authorities to take concrete steps, such as simplifying bureaucratic hiring procedures for foreigners and offering incentives to employers, to level the playing field in recruitment.
Sağıroğlu stressed that education is key to tackling discriminatory attitudes, calling for awareness to be instilled from primary school through to university and professional life. He also underscored the need for decisive government action.
“When we talk about institutionalized racism, there is both a state and social dimension,” he said. “Governments must pursue firm policies and enact legal reforms to eradicate discrimination within state institutions. Unfortunately, this racism is becoming further embedded in politics and expanding its influence.”
Germany is home to the world's biggest overseas community of people of Turkish origin, numbering around 2.8 million, many descendants of workers who came to the country to plug labor shortages in the 1960s and 70s.
About half of this number still hold only Turkish passports, while others hold only German citizenship.
The community often complains of anti-Muslim and anti-Turkish threats and attacks on Turkish diplomatic missions, homes and shops, as well as places of worship and social gathering. For instance, over 500 attacks involving Quran burnings took place in Western Europe in the past years, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
