The high number of people with a migration background in German society and the complications resulting from living together have been the focus of media debates in recent years. The issue of integration in Germany is constantly discussed in both political and media discourse. In 2009, the study "Untapped Potential - On the State of Integration in Germany" sparked a major integration debate. According to the study's findings, Turks in particular are poorly integrated in Germany. Turks, who constitute the largest foreign population group in Germany by nationality, are still criticized for their poor integration. The Turkish guest workers of that time are now predominantly pensioners who commute between their two homelands. They did not initially pursue the goal of being immigrants. The integration measures of today's policies no longer have a real impact on the lives of these people.3 Germany accepted itself as an immigration country and implemented concrete integration measures too late.
Considering the coexistence of three generations with migrants of Turkish origin in Germany and the ongoing public media discussions, which tend to portray society as one of conflict rather than cooperation, the topic of the "illusion of return" proves to be socially relevant. The urgency of addressing this topic by the younger generation of our society, with or without a migration background, is high. By addressing the topic in a variety of ways, society could be exposed to perspectives beyond those of public media discussions.
This bachelor's thesis, "Illusion of Return," attempts to provide insight into the lives of these "commuter migrants" and their two homelands, using a specific case study. As the granddaughter of Turkish guest workers, I aim to present the phenomenon of so-called "commuter migrants" chronologically through the story of my grandparents in this bachelor's thesis. A story that is applicable to numerous Turkish guest worker families. The bachelor's thesis "Return Illusion" could contribute to raising awareness about migration and integration and counteracting the division of society.