Martindale Center- Policy Briefs on the Future of Work

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Wages and Living Conditions of the Syrian Migrants in Turkey 35 35 One of the largest obstacles that refugees in Turkey face is that access to the formal labor market is extremely limited, with the result that they are pushed to work without social protection in the informal economy sector (Leghtas, 2019). The process of getting a work permit can last for more than a month and involves the employer who sometimes does not have enough knowledge about the procedure or is not will- ing to cover the price of legally hiring a Syrian refugee. The permit has to be renewed every year. Out of 2 million Syrian refugees who legally are able to work, roughly half are working in the informal economy without social securi- ty, and they earn lower than the legal minimum wage of TRY2,020 ($365) per month (Leghtas, 2019). As a result, the majority of refugees “struggle to secure basic needs like housing, health care, and education, and some live in abject poverty” (Ostrand). “Has COVID changed things? Yes—it has made it much worse.” This statement was made by Anne O’Rourke. The ongoing consequences of the COVID pandemic are expected tobedire,withmanybusinessesexperiencingreducedincome and productivity and job losses (ILO). As noted, language barriers and the tedious process of obtaining a work permit mean Syrian refugees are more likely to participate in the informal economy.Thisparticipationexposes themtoaneven greater risk of the effects of the pandemic, especially due to furtherreducedwagesandlivelihoodsresultinginevenpoorer living conditions. According to a May 2020 survey conducted by Danish Refugee Council, the livelihoods of the most vulnerable households will be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 government restrictions. These restrictions prevent refugees from going out and earning their daily wages. For example, lockdownsonweekdaysreducethenumberofworkingdays in theweek fromsix tofive and force refugees todecide between their livelihood or safety. The financial hardship ensuing from the pandemic is evident and can be witnessed in Fig- ure 3. With only 8% of responders still working as normal, a significant number of refugees have experienced reduced profits, interrupted assistance, or even loss of work due to discrimination. This is in line with International Labour Or- ganization (ILO) projections regarding those working with- in the informal sector, including the overwhelming share of Syrian refugees. Speaking generally, Mito Tsukamoto, Chief of the ILO’s Development and Investment Department, es- timates that “almost 1.6 billion informal economy workers… are significantly impacted by lockdown measures and/or they work in the hardest-hit sectors” (Tsukamoto), amount- ing to more than three-quarters of all informal workers. Tsukamoto projected these workers’ earnings would decline 60% globally, with low- and lower-middle-income countries suffering a particularly steep 82% decline (Tsukamoto). As Figure 3 suggests, the living conditions of the Syrian refugees have been severely affected. Dempster et al. suggest that “Without jobs and access to income, many refugees may suffer from increased food insecurity, inability to pay rent,” or a lack of access to medication and healthcare. Refugees also are “more likely to turn to negative coping mechanisms,” such as spending from savings or reducing the food consumed per day. In addition, as Dempster et al. also point out, “their status as foreigners makes them subject to xenophobia and abuse, which in turn often translates into worse working conditions when compared to their national counterparts” (Dempster et al., 17). A rise in domestic tensions and frustration was reported by over half of households responding (Danish Refugee Council). Figure 2 Data Source: Turkish Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services. Figure 3 Data Source: Danish Refugee Council.