Page 156 - Syrians in Türkiye - Special Report

GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TÜRKİYE THE OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

own living to provide for their families in order to maintain their lives in harmony and
without being a burden to the society which they live in.

The Syrian population between the ages of 15-65 who can potentially work is around
1.9 million. However, it is estimated that number who actively want to be included
in the labor market is 1.5 million. Some Syrians have been living in Türkiye for more
than 5 years, and on average more than 3 years, and more than 92% are living in urban
areas. All the expenses of the 235,365 people living in the camps run by our country are
covered, and financial support is also provided by creating programs such as the Turkish
Red Crescent Card which is externally funded.

However, the situation is very different for the 2.8 million Syrians living outside of
these camps. “Urban refugees” who do not have regular and sufficient income from
public institutions or NGOs have to work. There are at least 500,000 Syrians who
choose to live in cities and have the opportunity to work. It is common that more than
71
one person in each family is working because wages are frequently low. However,
regulations on the right to work have not sufficiently prevented Syrians from engaging
in informal labor. According to the information given by the Ministry of Labor as
of August 1, 2017, 5,055 Syrians under temporary protection status in Türkiye have
received work permits. In fact, informal labor is one of the most serious problems of the
Turkish economy, and according to TUIK data, 34.2% of labor was done by informal
workers as of May 2017. Thus, it is not surprising that refugees are engaged in informal
labor. According to TUIK data, the general unemployment rate was 10.2% as of May
2017 and 19.8% among the younger population. 3,225,000 people are still unemployed
72
in Türkiye. According to the regulations on labor rights, Syrians who have temporary
protection status for at least 6 months are entitled to work for minimum wage upon
the request of the employer. The minimum wage in Türkiye costs for an employer are
approximately 2,000 TL. This is also an important reason for the widespread informal
labor. Other than a small number of Syrians who have special skills, there are very few
working with permits in Türkiye.

People who had worked in various economic sectors in Syria and came to our country
due to the civil war want to continue earning money, gaining work experience, and
maintaining their assets in business. As a result, the number of firms opened by Syrian
investors bringing their capital to this country has increase significantly compared to
71
M. M. Erdoğan and Can Ünver “The Opinions, Prospects and Proposals of the Turkish Business World on
the Syrians in Türkiye” Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (Ankara: TISK, 2015.
72
TUIK. Labor Force Statistics (accessed August 17. 2017); available from http://www.tuik.gov.tr/
PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=24630.

156 SYRIANS IN TÜRKİYE SPECIAL REPORT