The Syrian crisis is now in its eighth year. More than 3.5 million people displaced by violence in Syria have sought refuge in Turkey. The numbers are growing by about 1,000 per day due to births and new arrivals. They join more than 500,000 asylum seekers and refugees from other countries.
Despite Turkey’s sometimes stiflingly difficult political environment, civil society organizations and local governments are implementing promising projects designed to address the challenges of integrating these people. What is needed now is a long-term national strategy and greater international burden-sharing.
Key actors: cities and civil society
Municipalities are at the frontline of managing the Syrian refugee situation in Turkey. More than 95% of Syrians in Turkey live in urban areas. Kilis, located on the border with Syria, hosts more Syrian refugees than Turkish residents. At least 560,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Istanbul. More than 50,000 Syrian refugees live in the city’s Zeytinburnu district.
Municipalities have been particularly innovative in their efforts to accommodate refugees, running free language courses, instituting social assistance programs, allowing some legal flexibility for Syrian entrepreneurs, and, in at least one district (Baclar), encouraging Syrians to participate in citizen advisory councils. The Marmara Municipal Union, which includes some 300 municipalities in Istanbul and the surrounding area and represents a combined total of more than 20 million residents, has a Migration Policy Center where members can share best practices, coordinate refugee support efforts, and develop evidence-based policies to promote integration.
Local civil society efforts are also crucial in promoting integration. Organizations such as the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) run numerous community centers that provide a range of support services for Syrians and other refugees. ASAM also pre-screens asylum seekers for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in Turkey. Many local NGOs work closely with their international counterparts, UN agencies, and, increasingly, NGOs founded by Syrian refugees themselves. Last month, a group of Turkish NGOs led by Oxfam Turkey and the Center for Asylum and Migration Studies organized an international refugee conference, bringing together representatives of nearly 100 organizations from about 30 countries. The conference adopted a statement calling for improved representation and participation of both host and refugee communities in international policy-making processes. Encouraged by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the organizers shared the statement with UNHCR and other stakeholders in Geneva earlier this month.
What is the role of Türkiye’s national government?
These local and civil society efforts are made possible in no small part by the Turkish government’s commitment to meeting the protection needs of Syrian refugees. But ultimately, local government and civil society leaders are looking to the government to develop a long-term integration strategy. But the government has been hesitant, and is of two minds: it continues to treat the Syrian refugees’ stay as temporary;
Turkey has undertaken numerous projects to promote refugee integration, but they have been largely ad hoc and lack a broader strategy. Turkey’s Employment Agency (ISKUR) and the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union are working closely to prepare the legal and administrative foundations for expanding Syrian refugees’ access to the labour market and to develop vocational training programs to increase their employability. The Turkish government is also working to expand Syrian children’s access to formal education. Today, more than 20,000 Syrian students are attending Turkish universities. Turkey-EU cooperation on funding these policies has been less visible but more sustained. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also actively involved in the finalization process of the Global Compact for New Refugees. The ministry has formed a parliamentary group of countries hosting large numbers of refugees to advocate for a stronger voice in international policymaking.
Major challenges remain
Despite these positive developments, major challenges remain. Public opinion polls such as the Syrian Barometer 2017 show that a large proportion of Turkish citizens dislike Syrian refugees. They are seen as a burden and blamed for the deterioration of public services, rising prices and rising unemployment. Although the Turkish government stresses its cultural and religious affinity with Syrian refugees, the population feels a surprisingly large cultural and social distance. There are constant reports of tensions between refugees and local residents. This makes it difficult for the Turkish government to be open to an integration strategy that acknowledges that Syrians cannot return home anytime soon. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently justified Turkey’s military intervention in northern Syria, claiming that part of its aim is to “help Syrian refugees return home.” He added that “they will not stay here forever.”
For municipalities, there are additional complexities. By law, municipalities are required to serve only citizens. This limits their ability to provide services to refugees. Also, municipalities do not receive dedicated financial resources to support refugees. Municipal leaders are concerned that serving Syrian refugees risks attracting more refugees from other areas. This could further strain existing resources and also strain relationships between new arrivals and long-time residents. Districts in Istanbul recognized for implementing best practices, such as Zeytinburnu, Bacilar, and Sultanbeyli, are experiencing growing refugee populations. Burden sharing and coordination are challenges both globally and locally. These complexities create real gaps in service delivery.
Another persistent challenge is ensuring access to education for all Syrian refugee children – one third of them are still out of school – and reports of child labour and early marriage persist.
Finally, there are major challenges when it comes to livelihood opportunities. Despite the adoption of a law in 2016 to ease access to the labour market, only 20,000 work permits have been issued so far. However, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians work informally and are therefore at risk of exploitation. It is estimated that almost a third of the Turkish economy is based on informal employment, which further complicates the situation.
What next?
As the world prepares to commemorate World Refugee Day, it is worth recognizing the important role Turkey plays in hosting large numbers of refugees and confronting the challenges that come with them. In addressing these challenges, the Turkish government would benefit from drawing on the experience and know-how of local governments and civil society to develop and implement an integrated strategy. Meanwhile, the international community should be more receptive to the Turkish government’s efforts to give refugee-hosting countries a voice and ensure that the burden is shared more evenly. Doing so would strengthen Turkey’s resilience and improve the well-being of millions of Syrian refugees living in Turkey. And it would help ensure that Turkey is ready to keep its doors open the next time a major refugee crisis strikes.
