Syrian refugees working in Türkiye

The civil war and humanitarian crisis in Syria has, since the middle of 2011, resulted in the mass relocation of refugees into neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Türkiye.

While the precise number of Syrian refugees settled in Türkiye remains unclear, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that as of September 29, 2014, it had registered more than 1,029,500 Syrian refugees in Türkiye. The Turkish Interior Ministry estimates that the number is probably closer to 1.35 million, with a minority remaining in the refugee camps near the border, though a massive late-September influx of refugees suddenly increased the population in the camps.

Most Syrian refugees in Türkiye have no valid work permits, and yet many of them are finding work in agricultural, service, construction, and manufacturing occupations, where their status leaves them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

It is the responsibility of member companies sourcing from or producing in Türkiye to understand the evolving circumstances there, react to the changing reality of the Turkish labor market, and find out from suppliers whether irregular Syrian workers exist in their supply chains.

To protect the human rights of refugees and worker rights for all, the FLA recommends:

1. No tolerance for discrimination: Migrant workers who are working in Türkiye, regardless of whether they have valid work permits, have the same worker rights as Turkish nationals, and the protections of the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct apply to them equally. Given the exceptional circumstances of these refugees, FLA-affiliated brands operating in Türkiye should communicate to their suppliers that Syrian refugees’ working conditions must not differ from domestic workers, and facilities must remain free from child labor.
2. Avoid migrant labor cost-savings: Without social security and tax-related payments, migrant workers remain cheaper to employ than the domestic workforce. Saving costs by hiring migrant workers is unfair to both local and migrant workers, and neither suppliers nor brands should profit from civil war refugees’ desperate situations. Companies should not explicitly seek out refugees to hire; if suppliers find refugees in their supply chains, brands and suppliers must cooperate to develop innovative solutions to ensure that their labor rights are protected. Examples could include setting aside a fund to provide benefits for migrant workers, investing in workplace improvements for all workers, and providing legal assistance for workers who ask for help obtaining work permits.
3. Support efforts to improve refugees’ workplace status: FLA supports the government of Türkiye in its efforts to improve the workplace status of Syrian refugees. Providing work permits for Syrian refugees will extend to them worker protections under Turkish law and reduce the potential for their exploitation. Supporting work permits will help bring companies employing refugees into fuller compliance the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct, while also improving conditions for some of the most vulnerable workers in Türkiye.

The civil war in Syria presents exceptional circumstances for brands sourcing from Türkiye. As long as the humanitarian crisis there continues, all stakeholders must be vigilant in ensuring that workers in supply chains in Türkiye are not subjected to exploitation and abuse.