This past week, Turkey saw a massive influx of Syrians approaching the border. This massive influx of people is estimated to be approximately 15,000 people. The Syrians have not yet crossed the border yet due to various restrictions. But, Turkey has had an open door policy with Syrian refugees ever since the war in Syria began; so far, Turkey seems willingly open to accept more refugees. But are they ready to handle a greater number of refugees?
Currently, there are a little over 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. A number that makes previous amounts of refugees seeking asylum in one country appear to be meager. The massive influx of people brings new challenges concerning society, economics and politics.
Most Syrian refugees are registered within the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), however, most are unregistered and displaced within Turkey. These displaced Syrians either enter into already established towns and villages or are establishing their own towns, which receive little to no governance. The towns that have been newly established by Syrians can be compared to shantytowns during the great depression in the United States.
These shantytowns are one of the most challenging dilemmas to Turkish authorities. These towns are one of the epicenters for criminal activity, primarily focused on the trafficking of drugs and human trafficking in various forms. The lack of a Turkish presence in these shantytowns can easily spread and connect the Syrian war to Turkey.
Turkey has been making strides in attempting to assist the Syrian population within its country. Turkey has established a newly formed faction within the government to primarily handle the influx of Syrian refugees living within Turkey. In the midst of the 2014 mass migration of refugees, Turkey created the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP) that manages the flow of refugees by designating the specific needs and manages the funding for the Syrians.
When examining Turkey on a macro scale, it is clear that Turkey did not let the influx of refugee’s harm of their overall progression into a highly developed state. The GDP of Turkey has been on the rise, and unemployment is roughly stable. However, many of the problems that surround the status of refugees in Turkey are associated with a micro level. Many Turks believe that Syrians are taking jobs in various sectors.
The influx of refugees has clearly affected other sectors of Turkish society; one most notably is the housing sector of Turkey. Syrians have been crossing the border in order to establish a new home. As Syrians have crossed the border to Turkey, some have brought with them enough money to rent out a new home for a period of time. This has inadvertently caused an increase in rental prices that has forced Turks out of certain areas of the country.
In the end, there are problems associated with allowing more Syrian refugees into Turkey, but the situation is easily manageable. Turkey has been making headway to minimize any future problems with Syrian refugees, but there is still much more to do in order to create a more stable situation in Turkey.
