Examination of working life in businesses owned by Syrians within the framework of decent work

Following the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, a large-scale migration flow towards Turkey began. Despite return movements and resettlements to third countries, the number of Syrians currently residing in Turkey remains around three million. As the 15th year of this migration approaches, Syrian migrants have integrated into local labor markets not only as workers but also as entrepreneurs. Nearly 25,000 Syrian-owned enterprises have been established, which have often been examined in the context of entrepreneurship-focused academic studies. However, the labor market structures created by these enterprises and the working conditions of the employees within them have largely been neglected in the literature. In this context, it is of particular importance to address the concept of "decent work"—a notion increasingly discussed both in the general labor market discourse and in the growing body of research on migrant labor—in relation to Syrian-owned enterprises in Turkey. Accordingly, this study is based on survey data collected from 600 employees working in Syrian-owned businesses operating in Istanbul and Gaziantep, two of the primary hubs of Syrian entrepreneurship in the country. The research aims to assess the level of decent work in these enterprises by evaluating key components of working life, including wages and working hours, leave entitlements, occupational health and safety, job security, social security, work-life balance, equal treatment, and opportunities for skill development. Findings reveal; indicates that while basic labor standards are partially met in these enterprises, significant improvements are still needed to ensure more comprehensive and sustainable decent work conditions.