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.
