Since March 2011, the Syrians who took refuge in Turkey to escape the civil war in Syria mark their seventh year in our country.According to the figures of UNHCR, the number of Syrians registered in Turkey is around 3,5 million people as of August 2018. Although the term refugee recalls an image of masses living in the camps in need of help, the Syrian refugees portrays a different picture.
The implementation of these projects, which encourage Syrians to access the legal labor market, is particularly important in terms of metropolises with high population density. The projects carried out jointly by the local administrations and NGOs in order to ensure the employment and social cohesion of Syrians, who have a significant share in Sultanbeyli and Küçükçekmece, stand out in Istanbul. One of these projects is the PEP Project, which is held in partnership of German International Cooperation Association (GIZ) and the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC). It's funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
In the project; It is aimed to support the economic conditions of Syrian people who are in need and to improve the living conditions.
With the PEP Project, 150 Syrians and 150 Turks in Temporary Protection who will be employed in our Sultanbeyli and Küçükçekmece districts. Syrians under temporary protection will be given 4 hours of Turkish course per day for 2 months, and the participants who complete the course will be employed with a minimum wage for up to 5 months, including work permits, road fees and social security. Day-care support will be provided to children of 3-10 age group in all beneficiaries. Turkish beneficiaries will be employed for up to 6 months without attending the course.
While employment is provided in the project, improvement and cleaning of public areas such as school, health center, public park, cultural center and child friendly areas in districts will be realized.
With the PEP Project, Syrians, who employed in different units of municipalities, will be granted access to the legal labor market as well as providing a significant contribution to social cohesion processes.
