As of 2024, Germany counts roughly 3 million people with Turkish background—the largest single origin group by migration background—and about 1.22 million people with Syrian background. In Berlin, kebab shops, Turkish grocers, and Arab-run businesses shape everyday street life, especially in Neukölln and Kreuzberg. Their visibility has fueled anxieties in some circles—including parts of the Chinese community—that Muslim-background migrants don’t integrate, drive crime, strain the welfare state, and damage Germany’s image. In this episode, we set those claims beside lived reality: a Turkish-German citizen joins us to share his experience growing up in Germany, and to discuss immigration and integration, the welfare state, and contemporary German politics.

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