FMGESI · REFUGEES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY: SITUATION, ROLE, AND IMPLICATIONS: THE CASE OF SYRIAN REFUGEE WORKERS IN THE EXPORT INDUSTRY IN ISTANBUL
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-10-01 → 2022-12-15
- EU contribution
- €160,932
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
REFUGEES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY: SITUATION, ROLE, AND IMPLICATIONS: THE CASE OF SYRIAN REFUGEE WORKERS IN THE EXPORT INDUSTRY IN ISTANBUL
The project “Refugees in the global economy: situation, role, and implications: the case of Syrian refugee workers in the export industry in Istanbul (FMGESI)¨ examines the employment conditions of refugee workers both to understand their role in the global economy as well as how these conditions impact their everyday life. These are the central issues of this research. This understanding not only fills a gap in sociological literature in migration studies but is also necessary for society in general: understanding refugees’ subjectivities helps to challenge the prevalent view of refugees as damaged and traumatized people who only receive aid or exploit the social security system. Furthermore, it brings refugees' voices to the foreground, which otherwise are only ‘nominally’ considered. Importantly, it helps to communicate the suffering of refugees and workers in the informal economy (especially in the countries of the Global South where production is concentrated and relatively little research on refugees has been done in comparison with countries of the Global North). This contributes to a push for greater commitment towards appreciating their issues as refugees or workers. At the same time this sheds light on the dangers of the currently culture of consumption. Therefore, this research provides policymakers with more effective recommendations towards planning for refugees’ social and economic integration into their host countries. Objectives of this Marie Skłodowska Curie Action (MSCA) have been to (1) Analyze both the working conditions and the labor market of the textile industry in Istanbul as well as the presence of Syrian refugees in the occupational structure of these companies. (2) Understand the perceptions of refugee workers in the textile industry regarding their living conditions. (3) Study their socio-spatial interactions inside and outside of the workplace. (4) Investigate their future expectations and plans.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
This research aims to explore the situation of refugee-workers in the global economy and its implications for their everyday life. The forced migrant is usually seen as a person who receives aid rather than one who participates in economic production in the host country. Nevertheless, there are many studies which demonstrate the positive role of the refugees in the national economy of the host country. However, these usually focus on the role of the refugees entrepreneurs or other ‘elites’, thereby ignoring refugee-workers and their position in the global economy. As such, we could ask what role does refugee-workers play in the global economy? How does their position in this economy impact their everyday lives and thus their future plans? These are the orienting questions for the proposed research. The approach is as follows: First, we will conduct an analysis of the city and its borders. Second, an analysis of the workers’ situation. Finally we will explore in-depth the situation of refugee-workers by undertaking an explorative case study; Syrian refugee-workers in Istanbul. Here, we will use a qualitative approach with in-depth semi-structured interviews. We chose Istanbul because Turkey's economic policy makes it one of the biggest suppliers of textiles to Europe. It is also the country with the highest number of refugees in the world. Most of these are Syrian, and the biggest number of them reside in Istanbul. This research will make a great contribution toward two of the most relevant issues in the horizon 2018-2020 work program; societal resilience and market creation innovation. It will provide a better understanding and useful recommendations for policymakers on how to manage forced migration, with ‘sustainable development goals’ related to the integration of the refugees in their host society and economy. Furthermore, gender is at the heart of this view, since forced migration is usually accompanied by extreme changes in social roles, especially for women.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA · GranadaCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union