Dortmund Honours 'Guest Workers' With Monument, Highlighting Integration Needs
The later years of Fatih Çevikkollu's mother, a former primary school teacher from Turkey, were marked by mental illness and loneliness after moving to Germany. Her story highlights challenges faced by older migrants, as highlighted by experts like Dr. Uwe Johansson and Dr. Gursel Capanoglu. Now, the city of Dortmund has erected a monument to honour 'guest workers', acknowledging their contributions and fostering dialogue about integration.
Fatih Çevikkollu's mother experienced a 'status loss' after relocating to Germany, working as a seamstress despite her teaching background. This change, coupled with the assumption of return and lack of integration support, contributed to her mental health struggles. Loneliness, a common issue among older migrants, often leads to psychological problems, as noted by the experts.
To better serve patients with a migration background, intercultural offers in medicine and therapy must expand. The LWL Clinic Dortmund's intercultural outpatient clinic provides culturally sensitive psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment, addressing differing illness concepts. However, these services need further expansion to meet the growing needs of this population.
Over six decades ago, Germany recruited workers like Fatih Çevikkollu's parents to address labor shortages. The 'guest worker' principle, which assumed return and unnecessary integration, has since been abolished. Today, the Dortmund monument serves as a reminder of their contributions and a call for improved integration support and mental health services for older migrants.
