Syrian Refugees in Turkey: An Analysis of Role of the Labour Exploitation in their Integration into the Labour Market

Abstract: This study investigates the role of labour exploitation in the integration of Syrian refugees into the Turkish labour market. Vulnerability, control, and consent are key elements in shaping labour exploitation. Informal employment among Syrian refugees is common both within the formal and informal sectors, which makes the line between them blurry. Labour exploitation plays a significant role and forms gaps and differences between citizen employees’ and refugee employees’ labour market participation. Legal restrictions, state policies, and the unwillingness of employers to comply with regulations also contribute to their labour exploitation and create an obstacle to their full labour market integration. This case study analyses Syrian refugees’ labour exploitation from two perspectives, including transactional and structural, based upon semi-structured interviews, secondary sources, and legislation. The theoretical framework consists of three parts: the concept of labour exploitation, dual labour market theory, and labour market integration. Three hypotheses of dual labour market theory are employed while evaluating results within structural labour exploitation.