Migration of Turkish healthcare professionals to Germany: The role of push-pull factors

Rising trends of violence in hospitals, lack of protection for healthcare professionals by government policies, economic changes, and diminishing purchasing power have collectively initiated what we commonly refer to today as "healthcare professionals' migration," a phenomenon rapidly unfolding. Moreover, after COVID-19 has emerged, this challenging period has started to increase the current problems. This study focuses on understanding the migration of healthcare professionals, given their crucial role in current and future societal health. It explores the push factors that prompted their migration from Turkey and the pull factors that explain why they chose Germany as their destination. The data necessary for this study were obtained through semi-structured questionnaire forms and in-depth interviews. In light of the findings of this study, the most influential push and pull factors driving healthcare professionals from Turkey to Germany have been examined under the headings of financial conditions, political conditions, social conditions, working conditions, and violence, based on participant responses. Furthermore, geographic proximity, bureaucratic ease, and social networks have been identified as other attractive factors influencing the choice of Germany. The globalization of migration and the phenomenon of transnationalism align with healthcare worker migration in this study. Additionally, the presence of the Turkish population in Germany and the social networks of the participants highlight the importance of having familiar connections when making migration decisions. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic and the February 2023 earthquake have further exacerbated their workload, psychologically strained them, and influenced their migration decisions.