Turkish industry faces labor market concerns amid potential return of Syrians

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria brought the future of the Syrian population in Türkiye into question, particularly concerning the 500,000 Syrian workers currently in the labor force.

Syrian workers, particularly favored in labor-intensive sectors for their willingness to accept lower wages, work long hours and often remain uninsured, have become vital to these industries. Many employers expressed concerns over the potential challenges of finding and training replacement workers should Syrians leave Türkiye, as this situation could result in a significant increase in personnel costs.

Turkish industry concerns over labor market amid Syrian’s potential return — Ülkelerindeki iç savaş sırasında Türkiye’ye sığınan Suriyeliler, 61 yıllık Baas rejiminin devrilmesi sonrasında Suriye’ye dönmek için Hatay’daki Cilvegözü Sınır Kapısı’nda yoğunluk oluşturdu. ( Mehmet Bayrak – Anadolu Ajansı )

Official data shows that approximately 100,000 Syrians either receive or extend work permits annually. However, when accounting for unregistered workers, it is estimated that around 500,000 Syrians are currently employed.

Meanwhile, a study published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in February 2023 revealed that Syrians predominantly work in the textile, industrial, construction, service, auto maintenance, and repair, leather products manufacturing, and food sectors, often informally. A field study conducted in Istanbul’s textile sector indicated that all Syrian workers were uninsured.

801,000 Syrians leave Türkiye in 3 years

According to the latest data from the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Türkiye’s Ministry of Interior, there are 2.94 million Syrian nationals under temporary protection in Türkiye. The total figure, including unregistered individuals, is estimated to be nearly 3.5 million.

The number of Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye is 2.94 million.
This figure peaked at 3.74 million in 2021.
Over the past three years, the number of “registered” Syrians has decreased by 801,000.
Of the Syrians under temporary protection, 1.52 million are men and 1.42 million are women. Among them, 943,350 are children under the age of 9, many of whom have never seen Syria.
The total number of women and children is approximately 2.21 million.
Thus, around 75% of the Syrian population in Türkiye consists of women and children.