Despite being the location of the largest amount of Syrian Refugees, there has been a long standing struggle for recognition as refugees in Turkey. More so than the recognition as refugees, Syrians in Turkey have sought the protections normally afforded to refugees, amongst those protections is wage-employment access. Until now these refugees in Turkey have been denied that access, some of whom first fled Syria near the start of the war almost 6 six years ago.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees visited Turkey shortly after the announcement that Turkey would grant work permits to Syrian refugees. There he was faced with the struggle that these refugees have gone through, as well as the promise of improvement with the new permits. One refugee, Fadia, put it simply “Life here is eating, sleeping, waiting, and no work.” Many had left the camp looking for work in other parts of Europe, in hopes of sending money back to their families struggling in the camps. Others had been forced to send their children to work factories to help cover food or rent.
The announcement of the new work permits comes on the back of a long struggle by Syrian refugees in Turkey to gain better conditions. This is particularly an uphill battle because Turkey defines Syrians that fled their country due to the civil war as guests, not refugees. Via the UNHCR office, this article (and the video showing the interview described within it) is designed to be “feel-good” and exist as a positive story for refugees and the countries hosting them. Furthermore, by showing Turkey’s handling in a positive light, as UNHCR chair Filippo Grandi put it “I believe Turkey is an example of how refugees should be received”, the UNHCR smoothes over what has been a tensious relationship between them and Turkey over the past several years.
This can be used to answer question regarding the treatment of refugees in Turkey during the Syrian refugee crisis. As Ihlamur-Öner and Suna Gülfer say in their journal “Turkey’s current Syrian refugee policy depends, …, afterwards Syrian refugees will return home. Even if the first expectation becomes real, there is no guarantee that the second expectation will materialise”. Should Syrians stay, their treatment will be an even more divisive issue.
Avery McGuire
Key Source
High Commissioner Praises Turkish Work Permits
Supporting
Turkey’s Refugee Regime Stretched to the LimitIhlamur-Öner, S. G. (2013). Turkey’s refugee regime stretched to the limit? the case of iraqi and syrian refugee flows. Perceptions, 18(3), 191-228. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.uoregon.edu/docview/1504460580?accountid=14698