Rükiye Demir

This interview is an oral history document of Rükiye Demir (°1949). She was already married to her husband Veli in Turkey when he left for Belgium. Rükiye suffered from rheumatism and could not get adequate care in Turkey. Veli arrived on a tourist visa through their network in their village Bademli. Veli had no migration plans until he got married. It was Rükiye’s sister Hanim who married a man who came to Belgium as a migrant worker in Ghent. The family had already sold much of its livestock to pay for Rükiye’s medical expenses. Veli eventually migrated to Belgium to work, but also hoping to get medical care for his sick wife. Her illness and her bond with her sister are the common thread in their migration story. In 1973, Rükiye also came over to Belgium. Hanim helped Veli to get a job in a sawmill when they moved from Marche-en-Famenne to Ghent. The migration offered Rükiye a comfortable life and good health, but she misses her (in-law) parents.