The Guests who Stayed — The Debate on ‘Foreigners Policy’ in the German Federal Republic

Abstract

The recruitment of “guest workers” between 1956 and 1973 by West German employers has given rise to new ethnic minorities. Despite the presence of over 4 million foreign residents (over a third of them Turks), the Federal Republic is still officially regarded as “not a country of immigration”. The legal and administrative framework set up to recruit “guest workers” is still in force. It is inappropriate for the current phase of settlement, denying basic rights, and causing social isolation of immigrants. The status of foreign residents is a major political issue, but no solution is yet in sight, leaving immigrants in a state of insecurity.