Employment experiences of migrant workers in the tourism sector: A study on Syrian migrants in Istanbul

The mass migration caused by the civil war in Syria has made Turkey a central country for forced migration. When Syrian migrants left their country and migrated to Turkey, they had to work to make a living. Since Istanbul has an important position in the tourism sector and is preferred as a migration city by Syrian migrants, the research area was determined as Istanbul. This is the first study to examine the employment of Syrian migrants working in the tourism sector in Istanbul, a topic that has not been widely researched in the literature. Qualitative research methods were used in the study and the data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using the MAXQDA 2024 program. According to the results of the research, it was found that it was easier for migrants to participate in employment through their social networks, but the lack of diploma equivalence and not being Turkish citizens made it difficult for them to participate in employment. Although migrants do not have any professional experience in this sector, the fact that their colleagues and employers support them, teach them the job, and provide them with a good working environment are the facilities they face in the labor market, while working long hours and low wages, working informally, not having work permits, not being paid for the hours they work and having difficulties in obtaining travel permits are the challenges they face in the sector. Immigrants who have goals in the tourism sector stated that they would like to open a travel agency and become a tourist guide after obtaining Turkish citizenship. It is concluded that the migrants who will continue their tourism activities want to continue in Turkey.