Some Issues of the Employment of Syrian Refugees in Turkey in the Light of European Integration

Abstract

In the seven decades following the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, relatively few asylum seekers came to the country, and most of them stayed in there only temporarily. The wave of Syrian refugees that started in 2011 hit the Turkish public administration and labor system practically unprepared, and it took until January 2016 for a system meeting international expectations allowing foreigners to work legally to be born. Due to the numerous restrictions, only a fraction of the Syrian migrants were able to find a registered job, and a serious conflict arose between the Turkish majority and the refugee community, both regarding employment and wages. With the help of mostly English and, to a lesser extent, Turkish sources, this study tries to reveal the system of connections between the Turkish political structure, the role of the European Union and labor trends. With the help of a number of quantitative and qualitative analyses, the multifaceted nature of the problem –including unemployment and conflicts over the wages- can be demonstrated and one can define how it affects the upcoming elections.