The Socio-Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Syrian Refugees in Turkey

Abstract

Building upon empirical research, this study examines the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Syrian refugees in Turkey by analyzing its implications on employment, livelihood opportunities, and social cohesion. More specifically, it focuses on the experiences of Syrian refugees to examine the ways in which they exert their agency to cope with the structural constraints when faced with ‘multiple crises’ in host countries, intersecting with the dynamics of a ‘normalized refugee crisis’. Our findings from fieldwork conducted in the top six refugee-hosting cities reveal that loss of jobs, limited access to decent work, increased dependency on external financial assistance, and social exclusion have been some of the most acute effects of the pandemic on refugees. Meanwhile, the perceived effects that refugees have on the host community’s welfare trigger problems that impede social cohesion. All in all, the study intends to highlight the far-reaching effects of the pandemic beyond its direct health implications by addressing the structural vulnerability of refugees and the importance of providing an enabling environment for socio-economic self-reliance.

Keywords

Syrian refugees, Turkey, Covid-19, migration management, refugee politics

Citation

Fulya Memişoğlu, Altan Özkil, and Tuna Kılınç, “The Socio-Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Syrian Refugees in Turkey”, Uluslararasi Iliskiler, Advanced Online Publication, 15 March 2024, pp. 1-20, DOI:10.33458/uidergisi.1284170

Affiliations

Fulya MEMİŞOĞLU Associate Professor Department of Political Science and International Relations, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul E-mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0001-8113-813X

Altan ÖZKİL Assistant Professor Department of Aviation Management, Atılım University, Ankara E-mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0001-8136-6087

Tuna KILINÇ Graduate student Department of Sociology, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ankara E-mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0001-8736-7750