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Challenges to economic integration and social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Turkey
Abstract
Purpose
The following question drove this research: Would the pursuit of a rights-based approach, one that considers local dynamics and political sensitivities result in greater economic integration and social inclusion of Syrian refugees in Turkey? The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This piece draws on independent research the author conducted in Turkey and other frontline states to the war in Syria from 2016 to 2018.
Findings
Despite a shift in government policy toward Syrian refugees, without an overarching rights-based approach that includes the participation of all stakeholders and considers local dynamics and political sensitivities, enhancing the livelihood security of Syrian refugees and vulnerable members of host communities remains bleak in Turkey.
Originality/value
This original paper closely examines the Government of Turkey’s response to the humanitarian crisis that was precipitated by the armed conflict in Syria. The paper also examines the socioeconomic dynamics and increased tensions between the Syrian refugee and host communities.
... Currently, the attention of scientists is mostly focused on the social goals of public administration of social expenditures, e.g. ensuring the need for housing (Alekseyenko et al., 2021;Ekoh et al., 2022), the availability of basic services, including medical (Cantor et al., 2021), integrating humanitarian assistance and social protection systems (Ham et al., 2022), social adaptation and integration of IDPs into new communities (Bache, 2020;Betts, 2021). The economic orientation of such research is much smaller, but it has also gained significant development and is revealed through the study of the impact of social expenditures on various areas of economic development: in the combination of ideas of national social assistance and inclusive economic development (Sasse, 2020;Ugreninov and Turner, 2023) , analysis of the impact on the labour market (Sabyrzhan et al., 2021), tax system and, finally, national financial capabilities (Szymańska, 2022). ...
... Similar principles, but in a much broader generalisation of the experience of social support and social integration of IDPs, are also laid out by Ghráinne (2022) with an emphasis on evaluating the effectiveness of institutional efforts for the social protection of IDPs. The works of Bache (2020) and Betts (2021) are devoted to the issue of social adaptation and integration of IDPs into new communities with similar conclusions about the importance of adaptation to new conditions both for the social protection of IDPs and ensuring the inclusive development of communities. At the same time, an important aspect of research is focusing on the potential of IDPs and conducting research on their needs in the context of ensuring mutual benefits, i.e. improving social protection for the long-term integration of IDPs into the community to ensure the communities' economic progress in terms of accumulation and efficient use of the capacity of internally displaced persons (Voznyak et al., 2023). ...
In this paper, we analyse the economic influence of expenditures on social protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) trying to find a response to the research question: if social expenditures can be used in public administration as an effective tool for fostering economic growth and labour market development, or their only purpose is social support within the social responsibility of the government. Thus, we conduct our research using the case of Ukraine with its unprecedented scope of internal displacement caused by the war. To analyse the dependencies between social expenditures and economic growth we use the multiplier calculations. As a result, we found out that the expenditures on social protection of IDPs cause the growth of GDP with a ratio of at least 1:1,23. Besides, due to the indirect economic influence of social expenditures on consumer spending, it was possible to support no less than 13,7 thousand workplaces annually. To substantiate this impact, we used the authors’ method based on the evaluation of marginal propensity to consume and average cost to support workplaces (found as a dependency between consumer spending and employment). The proposed methodology can be useful for scientific analysis and justification of policy measures aimed at different social groups needing financial assistance from the government.
... Such entry-level jobs erode professionalism, causing refugee doctors and engineers to drive taxis and teachers and lecturers to work as school assistants (Colic-Peisker and Tilbury 2006). In the Global South, refugees are confined to informal markets (e.g., Akcapar and Simsek 2018;Bache 2019;Banki 2006;Bastaki and Charles 2022;İçduygu and Diker 2017;Sahin Mencutek and Nashwan 2021), predominantly focused on "survival needs" rather than meaningful employment (Lee et al. 2020, 197), such as Japan's "3D work," dirty, dangerous, and demanding (Banki 2006, 331). ...
Refugee professionals constitute a small but significant part of the growing refugee population worldwide. They are highly educated individuals motivated to resume their disrupted professions in host countries. However, they often remain unemployed, underemployed, or overqualified. This multidisciplinary review identifies three categories of disadvantages—ethno‐racial discrimination, stigmatization of the “refugee identity,” and de‐professionalizing integration support—as potential causes of refugee professionals' disadvantaged socioeconomic position and poor economic performance. Ethno‐racial discrimination appears to be the most destructive, undermining professional aspirations and exacerbating identity and integration disadvantages. Identity disadvantages reduce professionals to just refugees, while integration disadvantages deprive them of the professional training, counseling, and orientation needed for successful reintegration. The review concludes that more structural constraints lead to a higher risk of marginalization and social exclusion for refugee professionals. It highlights the need for further research to inspire solution‐oriented policy improvements.
... International NGO operations were also restricted, requiring their permits to be renewed regularly and limiting which activities they would perform and in which cities. For example, language services can be only provided by CSOs that have approval from the Ministry of Education, and courses are to be taught by state-employed trainers (Bache, 2019). Similarly, for providing employment services, the CSOs must be approved by the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR), which takes time to pass through (Field Interviews). ...
This chapter identifies the gaps in the institutional environment for Syrian refugees’ economic integration in Türkiye and explores how civil society organizations (CSOs) address some of these gaps.
In adopting a qualitative research design, the chapter
exemplifies four cases that pursue initiatives and programs for refugees in Türkiye. The sample CSOs in Türkiye, working alongside the government, address the gaps by lowering the information asymmetry, expanding demand and supply for refugee enterprises, and supporting the survival of enterprises. However, compared to the actors in developed nations, the CSOs in Türkiye perform these actions while maintaining a safe distance from the central government, in not overstepping the state’s discourse on refugee management.
... Growing research has examined how people from a refugee background re-establish their livelihoods after leaving their home countries (e.g., Bache, 2020;Campion, 2018) or refugee issues as a labor market problem (Collier & Betts, 2017) that includes the problem of integration (Hirst et al., 2023). Still other research has assessed the ways in which refugee entrepreneurship benefits both refugees and their host countries . ...
... Wars generate long-lasting and large-scale international forced displacement that gives rise to more fragile host countries because it has a disproportionately greater impact on their economic conditions and on social cohesion. This is a particularly significant issue in the case of developing countries (Borjas & Monras, 2017;Bache, 2019;Aksoy & Ginn, 2022). ...
This paper focuses on the distribution of the working poor by income level across countries and examines how indicators such as the level of unemployment, the labour force, and the number of self-employed, impact that distribution. In addition, it also examines the impact of official development assistance and the massive influx of refugees as a result of the Syrian conflict. Four income levels of the working poor are analysed using the panel data technique. The sample includes the 5 main host countries (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey) for the period from 1991 to 2021. Our results confirm that unemployment is not a significant predictor for developing countries, so we recommend indicators of job quality. Moreover, our results confirm a low impact of refugees on the labour market in host countries. Furthermore, the effect of self-employment on the income level of the working poor is positive but limited.
... The use of social media is an important step for the better integration of migrants into host societies. Through Internet connectivity and the use of digital tools and social media, many resources are facilitated, such as providing access to educational training, health, and psychological services, and bringing support to refugees in communities (Oudshoorn et al. 2020;Bache 2020). Social media applications contribute to helping refugees track their asylum routes and find aid provided by international organizations (Yalim and Kim 2018;Ballout et al. 2018). ...
Through the theoretical frameworks of the media system dependency model and uses and gratifications theory, this study examined the uses of social media by Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey. A mixed-methods approach was used to increase the credibility and validity of the study’s findings by combining a qualitative method with quantitative data. The findings show that there were some factors that affected the Syrian refugees’ use of social media before seeking refuge in Jordan and Turkey, which were mainly its ban due to the regime’s censorship and a bad Internet connection due to the bad infrastructure. The absence of these two factors led to an increase in their social media dependency after seeking refuge. There are variances in which social media sites Syrian refugees use the most and why. The majority relied on Facebook for various reasons, and this dependency had varying repercussions on individuals. Furthermore, many immigrants were acquainted with new platforms, implying that refugees became social-media-literate and participated in the updates of the new platforms, even if such sites were not well known to the general public. The Syrian refugees’ dependency on social media varies from person to person due to differences in personal goals, social status, locations, living characteristics, and easy access to the Internet. Furthermore, this dependency on social media has different effects on them according to the media system dependency model. The refugees become increasingly dependent on social media to satisfy their needs and, because of that, social media dependency will become more important in their lives and will increase its influence and effects on them. Furthermore, the study found that the Syrian refugees depended on social media for various gratifications, such as educational, work, and business; information access; cultural and social aspects; connecting with networks and families; establishing friendships; learning new skills; self-expression; making business; and finding work, in addition to reaching routes and contacting smugglers to help them leave the country.
Due to the ongoing refugee crises, refugees and their workplace integration have attracted the attention of management scholars. The understanding of refugees varies and often lacks clarity in this emerging research. In analyzing how management scholars define the term “refugee,” detailing their approaches to heterogeneous refugee populations and outlining their assumptions about refugees' coping agency, this literature review provides a structured analysis of the emerging field's collective knowledge and theorization. We propose detailed implications to enhance the understanding of refugees in management research and show future avenues for research.
Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo central analisar a inclusão de Pessoas com Deficiência - PcDs - no mercado de trabalho, especificamente na Universidade de Cruz Alta – UNICRUZ, Instituição de Ensino Superior de caráter comunitário localizada no município de Cruz Alta, no interior do Rio Grande do Sul. O artigo aborda as barreiras e dificuldades existentes no processo de inclusão social no mercado de trabalho das PcDs, bem como as potencialidades desse processo. Com relação à metodologia, a pesquisa tem natureza qualitativa. Os dados foram coletados através de questionários enviados aos colaboradores da Universidade identificados como PcDs e à psicóloga institucional. A apreciação das respostas fundamentou-se na análise de conteúdo. Com base nos resultados, percebe-se que a inclusão social em organizações, sejam elas públicas ou privadas e, em especial, em universidades comunitárias, apresenta-se como uma grande propulsora do desenvolvimento humano. Em relação à UNICRUZ, em que pese os esforços do Núcleo de Acessibilidade, ainda não se observa a total inclusão e existem barreiras e dificuldades de diferentes aspectos, materiais ou culturais. Constatou-se que a inclusão social, tendo como base os propósitos de combater o preconceito e reduzir as desigualdades, está em processo de evolução na organização, mas ainda há muito a ser construído.
During research conducted in the summer of 2020, I observed the advanced marginality of the refugees in Ankara, Turkey. While some authors have examined this precarity, and some others have examined how refugees have begun to live in a spatially distinct section of certain cities, the combination of these two phenomena demands further investigation. If the underpinning truly is spatial as claimed by Lefebvre (The production of space. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell, 1991), then the precarious subject and the precarious space co‐produce each other. What this paper intends to do is to combine space and precarity using the observations of Wacquant (Urban poverty and the underclass: a reader. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell, 1996, Urban Studies, 2016, 53, 1077) in his various analyses on the ghetto in France and the United States. In Wacquant's work, we can begin to see a spatial conception of precarity, and we can further extend this to the point that as space is a production and its subjects are also a co‐constitution of that space. Nevertheless, Sampson (Ethnic & Racial Studies, 2014, 37, 1732) points out a certain state centrism in Wacquant's analysis. Building upon this, as well as the work of Roy (International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2011, 35, 223 and Territories of poverty: rethinking north and south. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2015), we can offer the refugee neighbourhood in Ankara as an example of “bottom‐up” agency, alternative to Wacquant's original state‐centric analysis. In the course of this paper, this possibility of a “bottom‐up” refugee solidarity and related refugee space will be analysed.
This book explores the intangible human capital which international migrants bring with them and develop further when working and living abroad, drawing on case studies and original data from Central Europe and Mexico–USA.
The book demonstrates that despite the fact that many international migrants might be working in their destination countries at a level below their formal qualifications, or else might be formally unskilled, but with practical non-validated skills, they can still acquire and enhance considerable informal human capital in the form of mind skills, soft skills, maker skills and life skills. The book analyses how migration-impacted informal human capital (MigCap) is acquired and enhanced as a result of international migration and what the opportunity and constraint structures are for their acquisitions and transfers. Adopting a comprehensive perspective, the book investigates how migration-impacted informal human capital is transferred by migrants between localities and areas of human actions and activities.
Moving beyond the focus on migration as a source of economic capital, this book demonstrates that learning by observing, communicating and doing with others, embedded in social relations can facilitate the enhancement of intangible human capital among both skilled and unskilled migrants. It will be of interest to researchers of migration, sociology, economics, management and business studies, and other related social science disciplines.
Purpose
Global governmentality to deal with refugee crises and related cohesion problems suggests the private sector’s activation. The purpose of this study is to theoretically understand this preference together with the global increase of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and empirically access the CSR implementation in Turkey by focussing on government policy towards refugee education for Syrian children in Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
This study offers insights into the picture of CSR implementation in Turkey deriving from an analysis of secondary data, obtained from multiple sources. This analysis is examined in the context of refugee education with the position of Turkish Government.
Findings
This study reveals an increase of the private sector’s role in refugee education at the global level by CSR implementations besides privatization of national education. It determines Turkish CSR picture is still developing, but bodies of Turkish government persisting its “soft power” are seen as CSR projects’ indispensable partner. It discusses the meaning of digital solutions in refugee education and attempts at using technological innovations to supply language training in the CSR context.
Originality/value
Although plenty of research has been conducted on the refugee education, CSR in the countries faced with large refugee influxes has not received enough attention in the literature. This study attempts to fill the gap in literature dealing with CSR implementations in refugee education. It also contributes to the understanding of the Turkish context of CSR.
Another side to the story, a market assessment of Syrian SMEs in Turkey
- Building Markets
Population influx from Syria to Turkey: life in Turkey as a Syrian guest
- Disaster and Emergency Management Authority
Economic surveys: Turkey
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Refugee and livelihood monitor
- Human Development Foundation and IPSOS
Employment Outlook 2017
- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
When I picture my future, I see nothing: barriers to education for Syrian refugee children in Turkey
- Human Rights Watch
Syrian refugees trigger child labor boom in Turkey
- C Letsch
Turk Is Dunyasinin Turkiye’deki Suriyeliler Konusundaki Gorus, Beklenti ve Onerileri
- Confederation of Employer Associations of Turkey
Syrian guests in Turkey
- Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, Republic of Turkey