10.06.2019-16.06.2019 • No: 215

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SYRIAN MIGRANTS IN : FROM GUESTS TO SETTLERS The civil war in between the regime since new changes regarding the labor mar- while there are almost 1.9 million Syrian and opposition forces has entered its ninth ket granted the right to work only to high- refugees in the working age group. Thus, year in March 2019 forcing 13 million Syri- skilled foreigners and refugees who were technically the limitation covers all the Syr- ans to leave their homes and migrate to ei- staying in the country for a long time. With ian refugee workforce. However, due to ther abroad or safe regions in the country. the introduction of the Regulation on the their unequal distribution within the country According to the United Nations High Com- Work Permit of Foreigners under Tempo- and different shares of Syrian refugees com- missioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) data, on rary Protection in January 2016, they were pared to the total population in their regis- June 13, 2019, there are 5,635,301 people given a legal option to work in Turkey. tered cities, a number of additional problems who seek refugee abroad, mostly in the Currently, a large part of the Syrian refugees occur. For instance, the city of Kilis repre- neighboring countries with Turkey taking live in cities mostly in the southern part of sents one of the extreme cases regarding the lead as it accepted 64,1%, or 3,614,108 the country and in big cities like Istanbul, Iz- such issues. In this city, the total workforce people. The rest of refugees are in mir and Ankara. If they choose to live out- is around 16,000 people and according to the (935,454 people), (664,330), Iraq side the refugee camps, they need to take 10% rule, only 1,600 work permits should (252,983) and (132,713). Besides, 6.6 care of themselves and their families. How- be issued. However, there are 130,000 reg- million people have relocated within the ever, up until January 2016, approximately istered Syrian refugees who reside in the country, and approximately 1 million of ref- 400,000 of them worked illegally in differ- city. The geographical limitation rule, under ugees have reached Europe through mostly ent sectors like textile, construction, manu- which they can only work in their registered illegal ways. facturing and agriculture as low-wage labor area, creates an inescapable bureaucratic With its open door policy, Turkey wel- force. According to a survey conducted by wall for the remaining 128,400 Syrian refu- the UNHCR in 2017, 76% of Syrians in Tur- gees in Kilis. The only exemption for the comed Syrian refugees who started to arrive key are reluctant to return to their home 10% rule given in the regulation is that an in 2011 after the Syrian government crushed country in near future and only 6% of them employer can apply to the Ministry of Labor the civil protests by force, thus causing the plan to go back to Syria. Taking these two and Social Security a month prior to hiring civil war. While some refugees decided to findings into consideration, it could be said a foreign employee indicating that there is continue their journey to reach Europe ille- that the willingness to start a new life in the no qualified Turkish citizen who could do gally, the majority settled in camps estab- host country has pushed almost 9 out of 10 the same job. Only if an application is ap- lished by the Turkish government. It is Syrians in Turkey to leave the refugee proved, a company can hire more Syrian ref- worth mentioning that Ankara has so far camps and try making a new start for them- ugees beyond 10%. spent over $37 billion in order to provide hu- selves. Due to the reasons mentioned above, the ex- manitarian assistance to Syrian refugees According to the Regulation on the Work pected spike in the number of work permits since 2011, which is more than 17 times Permit of Foreigners under Temporary Pro- obtained by Syrian refugees is not observed higher than what the country received from tection, Syrian refugees need to prove that since many employers are reluctant to go the European Union (€2.1 billion). How- they have been staying in the country for through all these bureaucratic procedures to ever, with the escalation of the conflict the more than six months, and their employer hire them, especially if they are unskilled or number of arrivals dramatically increased, needs to send an online application to the want to work in positions which could easily and the camps had difficulties with accept- Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Secu- be filled by local workforce. By 2016, ing so many refugees. The massive flows rity. As a rule, employers need to pay them 13,298 work permits were issued, and the from Syria created organizational and bu- a minimum wage, and their share within a number increased to 31,185 in March 2019. reaucratic issues which required the Turkish company or enterprise cannot exceed 10% Comparing with the total number of the Syr- government to come up with alternative and of the total number of workers. Moreover, ian refugee workforce, it is only 0.9%. quick solutions. Syrian refugees can only work in their reg- In conclusion, it could be said that years As a result, the Turkish government decided istered region. Nevertheless, the minimum 2013-2016 were a fruitful period for the to make some changes in its asylum proce- wage requirement of the work permit regu- Turkish government to develop its legal and dures in order to ease the bureaucratic hur- lation limits and in certain cases possibly operational effectiveness for addressing the dles. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its discourages most employers to hire Syrian issues of the Syrian refugees in the country. 1967 Protocol allowed the right of seeking a refugees through legal procedures. While These attempts were considered as a good refuge in Turkey for European origin people the mandatory payment of a minimum wage start that lays a foundation for the integra- and for the “Turkish descent and culture” is a good incentive for Syrian refugees to tion of Syrian refugees into Turkish society group. Thus, there was a geographical limi- earn a decent salary for their hard work, it both economically and socially – the process tation within the regulation which does not damages, however, their comparative ad- that can be called a transition from guests to cover the Syrians. That’s why they were vantage in the labor market. Since a signifi- settlers. However, later on, due to numerous given a temporary status. In 2013, the Turk- cant part of them cannot speak Turkish flu- internal and external events with a high pri- ish government renewed the 1994 Asylum ently, if they speak at all, employers would ority for the Turkish government, it seems Regulations with the new, more comprehen- prefer to hire local workers who are native that this process has slowed down since sive Law on Foreigners and International speakers if there is no any difference in there have been no any significant modifica- Protection and established the Directorate terms of labor costs. tions in the policy towards Syrian refugees, General of Migration Management as the Another issue is related to the 10% limita- such as, for example, finding a more tailor- authority responsible for managing the mi- tion within a company. According to the made solution to the 10% quota problem. In gration-related procedures in the country. Turkish Statistical Institute, there are 31.4 order to sustainably continue the successful With the adoption of the Law on Foreigners million people registered as a workforce in transition and integration process for Syrian and International Protection, the conditions the country, 28 million of whom are em- refugees who are willing to stay in the host for asylum seekers improved, but there were ployed, and the unemployment rate was country and adapt to their new lives, the still certain problems. Even under the new around 10% in 2018. If we take the 10% rule Turkish government and other stakeholders law, Syrians were not able to get a work per- into consideration under a macro perspec- need to work together and modify the exist- mit due to their temporary refugee status tive, it will be equal to 2.8 million permits, ing approaches, if necessary.

Written by Zhengizkhan Zhanaltay, Eurasian Research Institute, Kazakhstan

Politics, Foreign Affairs, and Security Economy, Finance, and Energy Society and Culture  As a result of the early presidential elec-  The fifth trilateral meeting between  Secretary General of the tion held in Kazakhstan, incumbent Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian Baghdad Amreyev visited Ashgabat, president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was President and Mongo- which marked the first-ever official visit reelected with 70.96% of the vote. His lian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga of a Turkic Council Secretary General closest challenger, Amirjan Kosanov was held on the sidelines of the SCO to Turkmenistan. During the visit, representing the Ult Tagdyry (Fate of summit in . The parties pledged Baghdad Amreyev met with Foreign the Nation) movement, gained 16.23%. to strengthen mutual cooperation Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid The five other candidates, Dania Yespa- through aligning their national develop- Meredov to discuss prospects for further yeva, Toleutai Rakhimbekov, Aman- ment strategies and constructing the developing constructive and mutually geldy Taspikhov, Jambyl Ahmetbekov -- Economic Cor- beneficial relations between the Turkic and Sadybek Tugel, received 5.05%, ridor. Council and Turkmenistan. 3.04%, 1.98%, 1.82% and 0.92%, re-  Uzbekistan and the Asian Development  Chairman of the Civil Service Affairs spectively. Bank signed a memorandum of agree- and Anti-Corruption Agency of Ka-  During the meeting of the SCO Heads ment on public-private partnerships to zakhstan Alik Shpekbayev met with of State Council held in Bishkek, the improve municipal water infrastructure Ambassador of Turkey to Kazakhstan parties reviewed the implementation of in the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Nevzat Uyanik. The Turkish diplomat emphasized Kazakhstan’s positive the results of the 2018 Summit Namangan and Karshi. The government achievements in upgrading its public and the priority goals of the SCO devel- of Uzbekistan identified the water sup- service and implementing e-govern- opment in the context of current global ply and sanitation sector as one of the ment, while Alik Shpekbayev briefed political and economic processes. The top priorities in the national develop- the ambassador on the work aimed at SCO member states pledged to promote ment agenda and initiated a series of re- anti-corruption support of capital in- practical cooperation in politics, secu- forms to spur the sector’s development. vestment projects. rity, trade, economy, and the humanitar-  24 documents worth $7.7 billion were  A commemoration event dedicated to ian sphere. signed at the Kyrgyz-Chinese business the June 2010 interethnic clashes in  The fifth summit of the heads of state of forum held in Bishkek. The agreements southern was held in Osh. the Conference on Interaction and Con- include the construction of a $260 mil- Kyrgyz officials and public figures took fidence Building Measures in Asia lion plant for the production of organic part in a flower laying ceremony, a mi- (CICA) was held in Dushanbe as Tajik- fertilizers in the Nookat district of the nute of silence and a common prayer in istan assumed the CICA chairmanship Osh region and a $60 million dairy fac- memory of the victims at the Mothers’ for 2018-2020. The parties exchanged tory in the Suzak district of the Jalal- Tears memorial, and expressed condo- views on security issues in Asia, includ- Abad region. lences to their families. ing the conflicts in Afghanistan and the  In January-May 2019, Kazakhstan ex-  The international conference of women , and measures to promote tracted 36.5 million tons of oil and gas parliamentarians titled “The Role of mutual dialogue, trust and coordination. condensate, 21.7 million of which were Turkic World Women in Achieving  Azerbaijan and Turkey held a joint mil- produced at the country’s three major Sustainable Development Goals” was itary exercise named “Indestructible oil deposits – Tengiz (12.48 million held in . At the event co-organized Brotherhood-2019” in the Nakhchivan tons), Karachaganak (4.97 million tons) by the Parliamentary Assembly of Tur- Autonomous Republic. The tactical drill and Kashagan (4.24 million tons). Dur- kic-Speaking Countries and the Na- was aimed at developing coordination ing the same period, Kazakhstan ex- tional Assembly of Azerbaijan, the par- and interoperability between the armed ported 29.1 million tons of oil and pro- ticipants discussed the importance of forces of the two countries. Nearly cessed 6.7 million tons of oil. gender equality and emphasized the 5,000 soldiers participated in the exer-  According to the National Bank of Ka- need to integrate women in the political, cise, accompanied by more than 200 zakhstan, during 2005-2018, Japan be- economic and social areas of life. tanks and armored vehicles, up to 180 came one of the top trade and invest-  The 6th International Symposium on the rocket systems and artillery mounts, and ment partners of Kazakhstan, with the Study of the Turkic World was held in 21 aircraft and helicopters. inflow of Japanese investments reach- Baku, gathering about 400 scientists,  Ministers of defense of Azerbaijan, ing $5.8 billion, including $403 million statesmen, and public figures from Georgia and Turkey Zakir Hasanov, in 2018. The mutual trade turnover Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Levan Izoria and Hulusi Akar held a reached $2 billion in 2018, and more Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan, and meeting in the Azerbaijani city of than 70 enterprises with Japanese capi- Bashkortostan. Participants discussed Gabala. The parties exchanged views on tal currently operate in Kazakhstan. common problems of Turkic-speaking prospects for developing cooperation in peoples and ways to strengthen their  During the working visit of Georgian mutual humanitarian cooperation, in- a trilateral format, with Baku and An- Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze to kara inviting Georgia to take part in fu- cluding through new research and edu- the , the Ministry of Econ- cation initiatives. ture joint exercises. omy and Sustainable Development of  The number of children born to women  The Moldovan government under Prime Georgia and the U.S. Department of who are not in a registered marriage has Minister Pavel Filip representing the Commerce signed an agreement on decreased in Azerbaijan. In 2018, Democratic Party of Moldova resigned. opening a U.S. commercial representa- 20,716 such children were born in the A new government was formed by the tive office in Tbilisi. The office is ex- country, while their number in 2017 was coalition of the pro-Russian Party of So- pected to coordinate economic relations 22,796, in 2016 – 26,288, in 2015 – cialists and the pro-EU ACUM bloc, between the two countries and serve as 24,038 and in 2014 – 25,486. The ma- with Maia Sandu, the leader of the Party a hub to promote U.S. business interests jority of extramarital births take place in of Action and Solidarity, elected as a in the region. rural areas. new prime minister.  The delegation of the Vietnamese Bank  According to the TourStat analytical  The official opening of the Embassy of Association visited the headquarters of agency, the Burabai resort in Kazakh- Mongolia in Kyrgyzstan took place in the Eurasian Economic Commission to stan, Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek with the participation of Kyr- discuss prospects of cooperation in the Naroch Lake in Belarus, the Absheron gyz Foreign Minister Chingiz Aidar- sphere of financial services. The parties resorts in Baku and Sevan Lake in Ar- bekov and Mongolian President Khalt- also considered the possibility of ex- menia are the most popular summer re- maagiin Battulga. Diplomatic relations panding trade and economic coopera- sorts in the CIS countries among Rus- between the two countries were estab- tion under the free trade area agreement sian tourists. It is estimated that on av- lished in 1992, and previously Mongo- between the Eurasian Economic Union erage they spend a week or two at these lia was represented in Kyrgyzstan by its and Vietnam that came into force in Oc- resorts and spend between $50-110 a Consulate General. tober 2016. day.

Prepared by Dauren Aben and Kanat Makhanov