The effects of migration on occupational safety: An analysis of fatal workplace accidents in Türkiye

According to ten-year averages between 2013 and 2022, Türkiye has the highest incidence of fatal occupational accidents among the 36 European countries reporting data to the International Labour Organization (ILO). While the incidence in Türkiye is 6.92 per 100,000 workers, this figure remains below 3, 2, or even 1 in many other European countries. This thesis aims to examine whether there is a significant relationship between the increasing migrant labor force and the rising number of fatal workplace accidents in Türkiye. The research question is defined as: "Is there a significant relationship between the migrant labor force and fatal occupational accidents in Türkiye? Quantitative analysis methods were applied using literature review and secondary data sources. Pearson correlation, simple and multiple regression analyses were carried out to determine the relationship between these variables. Findings indicate a strong positive correlation between the mass migration of Syrian refugees and the increase in fatal workplace accidents in Türkiye. According to the simple linear regression model, an increase of one million in the Syrian labor force corresponds to an additional 574 fatal accidents. The study also presents an econometric analysis of the underlying factors that affect fatal work accidents using data for the 1970-2022 period, and finds a positive and statistically significant association between the size of migrant labor force and the number of fatal workplace accidents. The findings of both the simple and multiple regression analyses show that there is a positive relationship between migrant workforce and fatal workplace accidents in Türkiye.