Project

Promoting Decent Work For Syrians Under Temporary Protection and Turkish Citizens

The project facilitates the access of Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish citizens to the formal labour market, supports them to develop, adapt and strengthen their skills and competences, as well as strengthens institutional capacities of the labour market actors.

Content also available in: Türkçe

Project details

Duration

6 December 2018 - 31 December 2026

Development partner(s)

Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Development Bank

Reference

TUR/18/01/DEU, TUR/19/03/DEU, TUR/22/02/DEU

Contact

Kıvanç Özvardar Bahar, Communication Officer, [email protected]

Additional details

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Background

With over 2.8 million Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTP) (Ministry of Interior, Presidency of Migration Management data, as of March 2025) Türkiye is one of the countries hosting the largest number of refugees in the world.

Recognizing the need to strengthen the resilience and self-reliance of refugees, the Turkish government has designed strong protection systems that grant access to education, health, social services, as well as the labour market. To support public institutions, manage the increased pressure on public services and to assist people in gaining a living, the ILO supports government, employers and workers to implement long-term strategies bolstering refugees' and host communities' resilience through better access to the decent job opportunities.

The project is implemented by the ILO Office for Türkiye in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and its key agencies and directorates, including the Social Security Institution and Directorate-General for International Labour Force, with unions of chambers of tradesmen and craftsmen, and municipalities as well as other public agencies and stakeholders.

Project information

To support the labour market and businesses in Türkiye through increasing decent work opportunities and strengthening of governance systems and structures, his project, Promoting Decent Work for Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish Citizens, facilitates the access of Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish citizens to the formal labour market. It supports them to develop and strengthen their skills and competencies to match labour market needs, works with employers towards formalisation, as well as strengthening labour market governance, facilitating decent work for all.
Component 1- ISMEP: The Work-Based Learning Programme (WBL)

Through WBL, jobseekers (Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish citizens) gain formal job experience and training, while employers gain access to a qualified workforce.

Wages and social security premiums are partly subsidized, and work permit costs are covered by the programme.

Financial support is provided for women to support their integration in the labour market and contribute to childcare costs. 30 percent of the WBL beneficiaries are women.

The programme also supports the inclusive employment of persons with disabilities. 10 percent of WBL beneficiaries are people with disabilities.

The WBL programme is being implemented in Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Denizli, Gaziantep, Istanbul, and Kahramanmaras to assist beneficiaries access to and retention in formal jobs.

Component 2- BILMER: Information Centres

BILMERs provide inclusive and efficient services to support informal tradespersons, craftsperson to formalise their business and support jobseekers to enter the formal labour market in Türkiye. These include awareness raising of rules and regulations in the labour market, work permit application support, and referrals to incentives, training and employment opportunities.

BILMERs are established through partnerships with the Unions of Chambers Tradesmen and Craftsmen (locally known as ESOBs) and municipalities in seven cities across Türkiye, namely Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Konya, Adana, Mersin, Bursa, and Istanbul.

Component 3- KIGEP: Transition to Formality Programme

Through KIGEP, the project supports employers in providing formal employment Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish citizens

Employers receive support payments for employees registered with KIGEP for six months. KIGEP also covers work permit fees for Syrians under Temporary Protection employees.

KIGEP is delivered in partnership with the Social Security Institution (SSI) under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security which also encourages formal employment of Syrians under Temporary Protection as well as Turkish citizens.

KIGEP has supported employers in 16 provinces across Türkiye under the SSI Provincial Directorates.

From 2019 to 2025, the project helped 26,656 people find employment — including 5,237 women, 21,419 men, 13,655 Syrians under Temporary Protection, 13,001 Turkish citizens, and 195 individuals with disabilities — with a 65% job retention rate. It also supported 9,927 businesses and 23,636 employees on their path to formalization through tailored consultations.