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Hard working conditions were one of the main stimuli for immigrants to leave their country. |
In UK, around 30,000 factory jobs were axed each month as firms cut costs in the face of weaker demand, according to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's (CIPS). While in Germany, some of the biggest companies have been struggling too; they have adopted new unfair policies towards recruitment in response to the developing recession. Most of these companies are dismissing temporary workers, implementing short-time work, and finally pushing through mass redundancies.
The history of the Muslim immigrants into Europe along with the current recession has negatively affected their economical status. Tracing their history is a must in order to recognize their position on the European social and financial map and highlighting the notable achievements made by the new Muslim generations.
Immigrants' Financial Status
In UK and Germany, Muslims have passed through different situations that brought them into their current position.
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Currently, the number of Muslims living in Germany is estimated at 3.5 millions. Out of this number are 2.6 million of Turkish origin and 70 percent of them immigrated to Germany more than ten years ago.
Looking at the Turkish Muslim immigrants' financial status, we find that their average household income is EUR 1,769, significantly lower than the national average income which is EUR 2,733.
However, an official research conducted in 2002 on the Turkish immigrants' financial status showed that their savings rate is double that of the Germans and the number of the self-employed was about 55,000. It also proved that there was a growing tendency towards investing assets in Germany, while there seemed to be a reduction in financial transfers to their home country, Turkey.
On the other hand, the number of German home acquisitions by Turks was increasing; in 1980, 1.6 percent owned a home in Germany, while in 2001, the figure increased to 7.6 percent. It is worth mentioning that the home-ownership average among German citizens is 42 percent.
Moving to UK where 1.8 million Muslims are based, Muslim immigrants of Pakistani/Bangladeshi origins constitute 50 percent of the whole Muslim population. Unemployment's ratio among Pakistanis/Bangladeshis is an average of 15-20 percent in contrast to 5 percent among the British citizens.
Unlike Turks in Germany, more Pakistanis/Bangladeshis derive income from self-employment. Hence, that would shield them from the downsizing measures adopted by their new home country, unless their own business was busted too due to the recession.
History of Immigration
It is said that the original nationality of the Muslim immigrants into Europe affected that way they identified the concepts of "property" and "employment". Going back to this history will illustrate their recent economical attitude.
During World War ІІ, when 60 millions were killed, immigration to Germany and UK started as a result of the significant shortage of labor in these countries.
At that time, most of the people in Turkey used to work predominantly in the agricultural sector ―mainly on their own fields, and their income was not only low but also very unstable. Furthermore, the absence of advanced farm machinery made their work very hard; hence, it was much disliked.
Farmers, whom I frequently met during my visits to Denizli ―a Turkish city with 400,000 inhabitants, narrated their old situations saying, "In the past we used to grow only wheat, corn, and barley, we worked very hard."
Hard working conditions were one of the main stimuli for them to leave their country in search for better opportunities abroad. The shortage of German manual workers in the face of post-war recovery was so severe. As a result, the employment agencies were set up in Istanbul to recruit Turkish workers directly from their home countries.
One eyewitness from the first generation of Turkish immigrants explained the situation saying, "Everyone was eager to go to Germany and people from all over Turkey went to register. There were long queues in front of the German recruitment agencies. These agencies used to conduct health check-ups, they preferred young workers and chose the strongest and healthiest applicants. There was no need to give preference to language. Turkish workers were warmly welcomed upon arrival with ceremonies, gifts and brass-bands. Even accommodations were ready."
In the same way, UK recruited foreign workers. Advertisements with statements such as "Come to UK to be a bus driver" were used to mobilize labor. Most Muslim immigrants into UK started working in the burgeoning industries, such as, car manufactures, coal mining, and chemical industries.
Steps Towards Integration
Since the economic behavior of the Muslim immigrants into Europe resulted from their culture and their integration concept, shedding the light on their cultural background's impact is of high significance.
Turks found it extremely hard to adapt to the German culture. They hardly got engaged in the German society. Now, and even 40 years after their immigration, it is common to meet Turks who cannot speak German properly. Most of them planned to stay temporarily in Germany until saving sufficient money that would at least cover the costs of building a house in Turkey. Most of them succeeded financially and managed to fulfill their dreams but they prolonged their stay which conflicted with their plans. Most Turks from the first generation have aged in Germany, but they didn't abandon their home country completely; they kept on traveling frequently between Turkey and Germany due to the better healthcare in Germany or their children who have settled there.
New Home, New Identity
Similarly, British Muslims remained within their new communities. Compared to Turks in Germany, Pakistanis/Bangladeshis were more successful in making life more homelike. In British cities such as Bradford and Birmingham, it is very common to see areas which are predominantly Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi. Numerous shops, groceries, and restaurants offer goods and services to meet the specific demands of these ethnic minorities.
One of the second-generation immigrants of Pakistani origin whose parents came to Britain in the 1950s says, "Mum replicated the social dynamics in the adopted country. She is illiterate but she carves out and forges for herself a network of social relations within the 'radius of one mile.' She has a daughter living down the road, friends of similar age and background. She attends gatherings at the local mosques. Her daily routine is more or less as it used to be in her native country."
However, both Turkish and Pakistani/Bangladeshi immigrants were not highly educated as they came mostly from rural areas, hence their identity was religious, and their interaction was only with equals. This fact was one of the challenges they had to face since there was a great difference between the rural life style of their native countries and the one adopted by their new industrial urban countries.
British vs. German Nationalities
While the Muslim immigrants into UK accepted the British nationality more easily, immigrants to Germany had some reservations in accepting the German one. This discrepancy might have resulted from the close historical relationship between UK and the Indian subcontinent ―when the subcontinent was occupied by UK for almost 200 consistent years. Besides, there is a relative ease in obtaining the British citizenship in contrast to the German administrative hurdles. It is quite common to hear the sentence: "I am British" from an immigrant of Asian origin when he/she is asked about the nationality, whereas it's highly infrequent to hear from a Turk holding a German passport that he/she is German.
Michael, a 38-year-old German citizen, insists, "In general, a Turk remains a Turk even when he/she has a German passport. To the average of the German citizens, the citizenship is not the arbiter, they usually argue that a Turk remains a Turk and the citizenship does not matter. Even the third generation is viewed as a foreign one."
Education: Integration's Base
For the integration to fully success, Muslim immigrants should attempt getting integrated at their schools, where the integration seeds are sown. Currently, many immigrant students in Europe lack integration.
At schools, new generations of Muslim immigrants encountered significant problems, such as the inability of being acquainted with the host countries' language. Moreover, some of the biggest underachievers academically in Britain are Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and people from the Black communities. The reason is likely to be the absence of work-ethic culture among these communities; being not native citizen made them less accepted among their new societies.
"I would be surprised if the parents asked their children whether he/she even went to school or not today. It’s a miracle if some of the kids become professionals," declares a 38-year-old secondary school teacher of Pakistani origin who teaches mainly children from these ethnic backgrounds.
Furthermore, the teacher, who came to the UK in 1976 at the age of six, believes that there are girls who are naturally intelligent but they get no inspiration from their families. "From a very young age they are geared towards marriage once they finish their schools. So their attitude is: What is the point of doing well in the GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) when we are going to get married next month and start a family?"
He then gave an example from his real life as a Pakistani immigrant. "My dad passed away when I was eight. I was neither inspired by my mother nor by my elder brother to work hard and become a professional. My brother had adopted the host country's lifestyle; he used to drink and gamble, so I had to depend on myself."
"Now I am a father and am trying to do different things from what I had experienced as a child," he resumes explaining how he sees that the only one who can inspire children is their responsible and successful father. He also emphasizes that many parents of the first generation succeeded to encourage their children but more were the parents who failed to inspire them. His children always join him whenever he goes to the library and they like to read a lot.
Whether you are a worker, professional, father, or even jobless, you are welcomed to tell us your story and share your experience as a Muslim immigrant in Europe!
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