Foreigners, Minorities and Integration

Explores the arrival and development of Muslim immigrant communities in Britain and Germany during the post-1945 period through the case studies of Newcastle upon Tyne and Bremen This book is a study of two post-war Muslim ethnic minority communities that have been overwhelmingly neglected in the academic literature and public debate on migration to Britain and Germany: those of Newcastle upon Tyne and Bremen. In what is the first work to offer a comparative assessment of Muslim migrant populations at a local level between these two countries, it provides an examination of everyday immigrant experiences and a reassessment of ethnic minority integration on a European scale. It traces the development of Muslim migrants from their arrival to and settlement in these post-industrial societies through to their emergence as fixed attributes on their cities’ landscapes. Through its focus on the employment, housing and education sectors, this study exposes the role played by ethnic minority aspirations and self-determination. Other themes that run throughout include: the long-term effects of Britain and Germany’s overarching post-war immigration frameworks; the convergence between local policies and Muslim ethnic minority behaviour in both cities; the extent to which Islam, the size of migrant communities, and regional identity influence the integration process. The arguments and debates addressed are not only pertinent to Newcastle and Bremen, but have a national and Europe-wide relevance, with the conclusions transgressing the immediate field of historical studies. This book is essential reading for academics and students alike with an interest in migration studies, modern Britain and Germany, and the place of Islam in contemporary Europe. Now available in paperback for the first time, this book explores the arrival and development of Muslim immigrant communities in Britain and Germany during the post-1945 period through the case studies of Newcastle upon Tyne and Bremen. It traces Newcastle’s South Asian Muslims and Bremen’s Turkish Muslims from their initial settlement through to the end of the twentieth century, and investigates their behaviour and performance in the areas of employment, housing and education. At a time when Islam is sometimes seen as a barrier to integration and harmony in Europe, this study demonstrates that this need not be the case. In what is the first comparison of Muslim ethnic minorities in Britain and Germany at a local level, this book reveals that instances of integration have been frequent. It is essential reading for both academics and students with an interest in migration studies, modern Britain and Germany, and the place of Islam in contemporary Europe.