A recent study reporting that Turks are the least integrated group of immigrants in German society has drawn a negative reaction from representatives of the Turkish community in Germany who say the study shows “only one side of the coin.” The study, released earlier this week by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, also said Turks are less successful than immigrants from other countries in securing jobs in Germany.
On a sliding scale of one (poorly integrated) to eight (well integrated), Turkish immigrants came last with a score of 2.4, despite being the second most numerous immigrant group in the country. In the area of education, the study shows that only 14 percent of ethnic Turks in Germany pass their secondary school final examinations. In the state of Saarland, 45 percent of Turkish immigrants have not completed their high school education. In terms of assimilation into society, it is noted that less than a third of Turks born in Germany have chosen to obtain German citizenship and that 93 percent have married within the Turkish community.
Urging respect for Muslims living in Germany, Ali Kızılkaya, the head of Germany’s Islamic Council and a former spokesperson for the Coordination Council of Muslims in Germany, said only if this respect is increased can the integration of Muslims into German society be strengthened.
