Migration and Return Migration

Abstract

Simply stated, the Turkish migrant population in Europe is large. In 2010, more than 1.6 million Turks lived in Germany, more than 450,000 in France, more than 370,000 in the Netherlands, and in excess of 110,000 in Austria. In total, more than 2.9 million Turks lived in the countries of the EU, with more than 56 per cent of these in Germany. These figures do not include naturalised European Union citizens of Turkish origin. Until 1973, when the period of labour recruitment by European countries ended, Turkish migration virtually equated to migration to Europe. Thereafter, it diversified considerably, first to Arab countries and then to other countries after 1990. Migration to Europe peaked at about 130,000 three times, in 1970 and 1974 just before and right after the stop of labour recruitment and again in 1992. Since 1992, Turkish migration has been continuously in decline (Icduygu 2008).