Turkey takes first step to offer work permit to Syrians
Hacer Boyacıoğlu ANKARA
Turkey will be able to give temporary identification cards to Syrians
through a temporary protection decree, according to a new measure
published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 22.
With the move, the
government has taken the first step to granting work permission to more
than 1.6 million Syrians who have taken refuge in Turkey since the
civil war broke out over three years ago.
The Labor Ministry is
now expected to determine in which provinces and sectors Syrians can
work across Turkey, according to the 29th article of the decree, which
defines access to the labor market. The ministry will then submit its
proposal about the scope of refugees under temporary protection to the
Cabinet, which will decide whether work permits will be offered or not.
These
work permits will not be able to be used as a residence permit,
according to the decree, and sources say the permits will probably only
be effective in large cities across Turkey.
Before the Labor
Ministry begins to work on its proposal, how many temporary IDs will be
given will be determined, sources said, adding that this process is
expected to take around six months.
Syrian refugee workers in
Turkey have limited rights and protection by law. Since most are unable
to speak Turkish, many are informally employed as manual laborers in
industries such as construction and textiles.
The new decree
clearly defines the rights and obligations of foreign people in Turkey
who were forced to leave their own country and are temporarily unable to
return. Refugees who were involved in terroristic actions or armed conflicts in their home country will not be taken under temporary protection.
In this vein, Syrian refugees will need to disarm to be able to benefit from temporary protection rights. They will then be registered by the General Directorate of the Migration Affairs by filling out a form. When their registration process is complete, they will be given a temporary protection ID and a foreign ID number.
Turkey will be able to give temporary identification cards to Syrians
through a temporary protection decree, according to a new measure
published in the Official Gazette on Oct. 22. 
