Farmers’ opinion about Syrian workers in agricultural sector in Turkey: Case study of Gaziantep

Abstract

Due to the Syrian Civil War, many Syrians have had to flee their country and seek refuge in neighbouring countries, and they face a great deal of financial and social problems in their new countries of residence. Problems such as language barriers and hostility from the host community make it difficult for refugees to integrate into the countries which took them in, and the fact that they must become a part of the work force as a matter of priority to meet their daily needs means that they often work unskilled jobs for low wages and are not registered in any official systems. The structural properties of the agricultural sector means that it is one of the most popular work areas for Syrian migrants. This study aims to evaluate the circumstances of Syrian individuals under temporary protection status in Turkey in the agricultural sector from the perspective of farmers. To this end, a survey was conducted with 395 farmers working in the agricultural sector in the province of Gaziantep. According to the findings of the research, 61.5% of agricultural businesses in Gaziantep employ Syrian refugees. The main reason for farmers opting to employ Syrian workers under temporary protection order is low wages (78.8%). 82.9% of Syrian refugees work only during harvesting season. 92.4% work both harvesting and hoeing, while 79.2% of business owners state that employing refugees allows them to decreased their production costs. Despite the presence of legal regulations in Turkey outlining how refugees can become a part of the labour force, these haven’t prevented the prevalence of off-the-books employment. Making the necessary amendments to legal regulations regarding seasonal workers in the agricultural sector would benefit both local workers and Syrian refugees. Additionally, legislation regarding salaries would improve the living standards of refugee workers and increase their motivation to work, thus improve productivity in agricultural products.

Factors Affecting Landowners’ Willingness to Sustain Hiring Foreign Farmworkers: The Case of Banana Producers in Mersin Province, Turkey

“…This is due to the rapid urbanization of the region and the large labor shortage in the agricultural field as local farmworkers move to different sectors. Contrary to this result, Cento and Bahşi [32] stated that the main reason for the preference for refugee workers is low wages (78.8%), and some other studies also reported that Syrian migrants generally become laborers for low wages [23,[68][69][70]. The fact that foreign workers work with low wages does not contradict the fact that there is a labor shortage.…”

“…Similarly, Dedeo glu [7] explained that one reason for lower wages is that wages vary for different groups of workers, and therefore, the productivity-wage relationship is established. Some studies found that the main reason for farmers hiring foreign farmworkers is low wages [31,32]. In addition, some studies focused on the role of immigrants in the labor supply gap in agriculture.…”

Work and Living Conditions of Syrians in Turkey and Their Situation in The Agricultural Sector

“…Mulazzani et al (2020), first aimed to outline the link between food security and migration, and then to validate it using the empirical literature from the African continent. Cento and Bahşi (2022) evaluated the situation of Syrian agricultural workers under temporary protection in Turkey from the perspective of farmers.…”