These figures do not include Syrians (see info on Syrians in Turkey below). In the programs they fund, donors should also prioritize trainings and other livelihoods schemes that help women access jobs effectively. Together, these costs and the required administrative steps create a significant disincentive for employers to use the permits. At the same time, nine years after Syria’s ongoing civil war launched the world’s largest displacement crisis, public discontent in Turkey is growing over the Syrian refugee population. As a result, most refugees are confined to low-paying jobs, many of them in small textile workshops and construction. If this situation is to change, programs must address the barriers women currently face, including the lack of childcare and cultural norms that oppose women’s work outside the home. For all public branding and communication purposes, the organization adopts the “Mülteci Hakları Merkezi” name in Turkish and “Refugee Rights Turkey” name in English. According to media reports, the minister stated that families of children registered in schools in Istanbul; people working with valid work permits; and people with certain humanitarian needs, such as health issues, would be exempt from the order to relocate. If you continue, we’ll assume that you are happy to receive all the cookies on the refugeesolidaritynetwork website. Projects under the second tranche are to be contracted by the end of 2020 but, at the time of writing, EU countries have not committed to further funding. A consultant for Refugees International traveled to Turkey in July 2019 to assess refugees’ access to the labor market, focusing on particular challenges faced by women and of the effects of a July 2019 crackdown on identity documents and a wave of subsequent deportations of Syrians in Turkey. Temporary protection for Syrian nationals allows for access to basic services. By Yasin Duman | - A spate of attacks in Turkey on Syrian refugees and Kurdish internal migrants and displaced people in recent months have put both communities on edge. According to official statistics, the Turkish Republic hosts nearly 3.5 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country.A number of studies show that a vast majority of these refugees will remain in Turkey permanently, even if the situation in Syria becomes stable and return becomes a possibility. “Now I don’t go anywhere. Despite these efforts, most Syrian and non-Syrian refugees continue to face precarious and often exploitative working conditions in Turkey’s informal sector. Since 1979, Refugees International has used its independent advocacy to improve the way aid is delivered and to ensure … Large numbers of Syrians also live in southeast Turkey in provinces bordering Syria—in particular, Hatay, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, and Kilis. The Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay), the World Food Program (WFP), and the Turkish government implement the program, which has been in place since 2016. The Government of Turkey (GoT) estimates the total number of registered Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTPs) at 2,225,147 according to a new Policy Note prepared by the World Bank, Turkey’s Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis and the Road Ahead. Also, since a change in the registration system for non-Syrian refugees in 2018, many Afghans have been unable to register with the Turkish authorities at all, making them ineligible for work permits. “My situation is excellent, my salary is good, compared to other people,” said Majed, a Syrian man living in Istanbul with his family and working in an international hotel with a work permit. The resulting dearth of permits means that higher-skilled refugees are often forced to work in lower-skilled and lower-paying jobs in the informal labor market. Refugees in Turkey: Health FMRC Series Report by Eleni Diker 1 01.06.2018 Istanbul/Turkey 1. On August 20, the government extended the deadline to October 30, 2019. Indeed, only 15 percent of Syrian women engage in gainful employment, and even fewer have work permits. In recent years, RSN has provided service to refugees from countries ranging from Cameroon to Turkmenistan. If eligible for resettlement, the process takes even longer. In 2006, there were a total of 4,550 individual applications made for asylum in Turkey. They do not have the ability to integrate into Turkish society. Some Syrians noted that it is increasingly difficult to find housing because landlords refuse to rent their homes to Syrians. The research is a follow-up to Refugees International’s 2017 report “’I am only looking for my rights,’ Legal employment still inaccessible to refugees in Turkey.” The consultant traveled to Gaziantep, Istanbul, and Ankara, and met with representatives of the Turkish government and of international organizations as well as international donors and nongovernmental organizations. They were then referred to one of some 60 “satellite cities,” where they had to register with the local office of the Provincial Department of Migration Management (PDMM) to obtain a Turkish identity card (commonly known as a kimlik). In July, a Syrian teenager working as a market seller in Bursa, northwestern Turkey, died after he was attacked by a group of men. Visit our website and find out how you can support us. Most of Turkey’s refugee population does not live in camps, but rather in host communities across the country, mostly in urban areas. As of October 2017, of the non-Syrian population of protection-seekers in Turkey: about 44% are from Afghanistan, 42% are from Iraq, and 10% are from Iran. While less discussed in the media, Turkey is also a destination for refugees from many other countries. UNHCR’s operation is not equipped for the amount of asylum-seekers currently applying in Turkey. To have a concrete impact on refugees’ participation in the labor market, however, regulations on refugees’ access to work permits must be improved to facilitate legal employment. The new law made a number of changes to the asylum system in Turkey, mainly with regard to legal procedures and bureaucracy. Ensure that non-Syrian refugees also have access to livelihood programs. In addition, Syrian women generally bear most of the responsibility for childcare and household duties, and in some cases their husbands or other family members are opposed to their work outside the home. In 2011, that number stood at 16,000. As a result, they are denied access to both proof of legal stay in Turkey and essential services. Until recently, non-Syrian refugees applying for international protection would register with the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM), an implementing partner of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Ankara. Thanks to the partnership between humanitarian organisations, the Turkish authorities and the EU, our humanitarian programmes help refugees to meet their basic needs and preserve their dignity,” Lenarčič pointed out. Kilis, which lies on the border with Syria, hosts more Syrian refugees than Turkish residents. “Of course, my father isn’t happy we’re working, but we have to. However, opportunities for resettlement are grossly insufficient; the United States, for example, resettled only 199 refugees from Turkey in fiscal year 2018. It was ranked as a Silver-level participant on Guidestar's Exchange, and its 2013 annual report states that only one one cent of every dollar went to administrative costs. Increase resettlement of Syrian and non-Syrian refugees from Turkey to EU countries. Turkey hosts one of the largest migrant and refugee populations in the world. In recent years, Turkey’s economy has come under increasing pressure. We do not accept any government or UN funding, ensuring the independence and credibility of our work. In March 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey concluded an agreement in response to the arrival of more than 1 million asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants to Europe in 2015, the majority of whom had traveled by sea from Turkey to Greece. Providing health care in refugee camps during COVID-19. In 2013, it was 44,800. Watch the video. In 2018, the Turkish authorities stopped registering Syrians in the city. My brother alone can’t support the family,” she said. She told Refugees International that as a girl working in textile workshops, she had faced harassment since age 13. In 2016, the majority of clients (89%) served by RSN-RRT came from 5 countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Somalia. In fact, my husband couldn’t find work, and when he did the salary was low,” she said. She said that although her family had had a good living situation in Syria, their financial situation in Turkey had forced them to work. Asylum-seekers in Turkey apply to the Turkish government (to the Directorate General for Migration Management) for international protection. The Turkish Parliament passed new landmark legislation, the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LRIP), in April 2013, The new law went into effect in April 2014. Turkey’s experience on the key issues such as jobs and employment should be examined as lessons for both refugee hosting countries and donor countries alike. “And my husband, we’re obligated [for me to work], so he lets me work. He sees that it’s OK, and also, he’s older. Turkey now hosts the largest refugee population in the world. The abrupt pivot to strict enforcement is unnecessarily harsh and fails to take into account the circumstances of refugees who have spent years building lives in Istanbul. Organization. This page has been archived and is now provided for reference purposes only. At 3.6 million, Syrians make up the vast majority of Turkey’s refugee population. This situation exists partly because the permit system requires employers to apply for work permits on behalf of the applicants. By 2014 it reached 82,000 and in 2015 the number exceeded 100k. Even for Turkish workers, informal work is widespread. Approximately 3 million Syrian refugees currently live in Turkey. In 2016, Turkey did introduce a work permit system that would allow employers to hire Syrians, thus representing an important step forward. Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Services. “Mazen” told Refugees International that his family had had their own home and a good living situation in Syria. We don’t go out.”. According to the reports, most of the men were stopped by Turkish authorities during identity checks in Istanbul. of both organizations, this report aims to outline pragmatic and innovative options at policy and programmatic levels to facilitate refugee access to decent employment as the key to their socioeconomic inclusion in Turkey. ASAM also runs UNHCR’s (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) pre-screening of asylum seekers in Turkey. “Here in Istanbul I found a place [a daycare] for her. To protect their identity, Refugees International has used pseudonyms for all the displaced persons cited in the report. The EU must continue to provide funding for refugee support in Turkey after the EUR 6 billion to which they committed under the EU-Turkey Statement have been spent. For their part, donors must continue their socioeconomic support for refugees and members of the host community, as well as humanitarian support for those whose circumstances do not allow them to work. Resettlement is an important way to show solidarity with countries like Turkey that are hosting large numbers of refugees, and to integrate refugees into those countries where they may have better access to livelihoods. As of July 2019, the fee for a work permit for a Syrian under Temporary Protection was TRY 372 (USD 67). Even in this difficult climate, the Turkish government, donor countries, and international and nongovernmental organizations in Turkey are putting more efforts into improving refugees’ livelihood opportunities. Although there is no publicly available number of work permits issued to refugee women, it is estimated to represent only a tiny percentage. Also, work permits are valid for only one year, after which they must be renewed. Cultural barriers are also commonly cited to explain the low participation of women refugees in the labor market. I get the bus to work, same thing for my husband and my daughter. Syrians interviewed by Refugees International in Gaziantep and Istanbul described being confronted by Turks who questioned their presence there and other instances of hostile treatment in public. COVID-19 response. Turkey was one of the original signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. You can learn more about helping as a skilled volunteer or donating to the cause by contacting relief organizations like the International Rescue Committee or UN Refugee Agency. [1] A note on terminology: although under Turkish law, the status of refugee is reserved for people who have fled persecution in a European country, in this report, unless otherwise specified, the term “refugee” is used to describe a person who has fled his or her country because of a well-founded fear of persecution, regardless of the region from which they fled, in line with the definition of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Universal education for Syrian refugee children has become a daunting and essential task for Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. However, since September 2018, UNHCR and ASAM no longer register international protection applicants. Syrians interviewed by Refugees International also described an increasingly hostile environment in which acts of xenophobia are common. Ankara accuses Brussels of not living up to promises it made in a 2016 deal that almost halted refugee flow to EU. On 17 July 2019, the Immigration Department of the opposition “Syrian Coalition” held a workshop in media professionals, jurists, and representatives of civil society organizations, intending to ease tension and rage towards the Syrian presence in Turkey, after cases of attacks on Syrian refugees. “Without the ESSN, we would be in a lot of debt,” she said, adding that her family already has some debt. For non-Syrian refugees, the rules make access to legal work particularly difficult. At the end of 2015, over 2.5 million people sought temporary protection or asylum within Turkey’s borders – primarily Syrians, Iraqis or Afghanis. Insecure Future: Deportations and Lack of Legal Work for Refugees in Turkey, Protecting the Human Rights of Refugees and Other Forced Migrants: Challenges at Home and Abroad, In Photos: Waiting for Peace, a Third of South Sudan Remains Displaced, Critical Advice for Biden-Harris Administration, ’I am only looking for my rights,’ Legal employment still inaccessible to refugees in Turkey, more than 7,000 companies are formally registered by Syrians, five Syrian businesses are established in Turkey, unemployment has risen to more than 14 percent, a wave of attacks against Syrian-owned businesses, Turkish authorities have denied their deportations, would be exempt from the order to relocate, one-third of workers are employed without social security, unable to register with the Turkish authorities, received training in hairdressing and needlework. Turkey is no exception. Turkish authorities have denied their deportations of Syrians, stating that though “action” was taken against 12,000 irregular migrants in the second half of July, the targets were of Afghan, Pakistani, and other third country nationalities. “There are professions I used to refuse for her to work in,” he said. 9 8 There are many arguments suggesting that informality has been seriously increased since 10 September 2018 among non-Syrian To help promote social cohesion, programs should empower both members of the refugee and host communities. The organization had developed alternative learning spaces and an educational curriculum for Turkish girls, focusing on girls’ empowerment, body health, mental health, nutrition, practicing sports, and protection from violence and sexual abuse. Some women mentioned that sexual harassment was common in the workplace, and they had left jobs because of it. The Temporary Protection status they fall under was largely based on a European Union Directive of 2001 which outlines EU member states’ obligations in responding to a mass influx of displaced individuals. “We had our homes; we didn’t pay rent.”. In determining where to register these refugees, consider special circumstances, such as their responsibility for elderly family members or those having special needs. The Turkish government has made some welcome efforts to create better livelihood opportunities for Syrians under Temporary Protection. Refugees International interviewed women who were widows, divorced, or single, as well as married women living with their husbands. On August 20, 2019, the Minister of the Interior announced that the deadline for unregistered Syrians to leave Istanbul would be extended until October 30, 2019. Indeed, Turkey has a large informal labor market, in which one-third of workers are employed without social security. If a non-Syrian individual or family is recognized as a refugee under UNHCR’s mandate, the UNHCR will attempt to resettle them to a third country. the flow of human beings that the formal organizations in Turkey refer to as “irregular migrants”, which probably include asylum seekers, is ongoing with a massive volume. “Abeer,” a lawyer from Syria, described the reality of working in Turkey when she arrived with her family six years earlier. This process is lengthy. These factors make the experience of seeking asylum and awaiting an RSD decision in Turkey difficult and vulnerable. Turkey is home to one of the largest refugee populations in the world with over 2.5 million. Refugee Rights Turkey was registered and certified as an association under Turkish law on September 16th, 2014, by the legal name of “Mülteci Hakları Derneği”. 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