Decent jobs are crucial to build long-term social and economic solutions for the Future of Syria and the Region

BRUSSELS (ILO News) - “Continued economic hardship and insufficient labour market governance in some neighbouring countries of Syria have not only exposed refugee and host communities to increased competition for scarce jobs, but also increased social tensions,” said Moussa Oumarou, ILO Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships, addressing the third Brussels conference on ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’. The conference is chaired by the European Union and the United Nations.

The ILO has implemented an array of interventions in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to promote decent jobs and livelihoods for Syrian refugees and their host communities, contributing to building resilience and long-term economic and social development in host countries.

The ILO also focuses on skills development and vocational training, and has supported export-led industries to increase their outreach to foreign markets while creating jobs and growth.

“To ensure the durability and success of these interventions, the ILO has focused not only on the creation of more jobs for those affected by the crisis, but also on improving the quality of these jobs,” continued the ILO Deputy Director-General at the conference, which brings together host governments, civil society, development partners and UN agencies to renew and strengthen support for Syrians and refugee-hosting neighbouring countries and communities.

The conference placed special attention on hearing the perspectives of Syrian women. An ILO study shows that the labour force participation of women increases significantly when simple measures are put in place, such as the provision of transport, women-only work sites and child care.

Similarly, wages set at the right level create a demand for jobs among the Syrian refugee and host communities, even in infrastructural work, which is often considered less attractive.

Working with the governments of Jordan and Lebanon and supported by funding from the European Commission, the governments of Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States, the ILO has supported large scale job creation through a series of programmes, which also contribute to local infrastructure rehabilitation and development. More than 320,000 worker days have been created, providing income opportunities to around 11,000 Syrian refugees and workers from the host communities. Women constitute around 13% of the beneficiaries of these programmes.

In Jordan, the ILO supported the Ministry of Labour in increasing the number of work permits issued to Syrian refugees after Jordan eased requirements in 2016, as part of its commitment at the Syria Conference in London to reduce barriers to the legal employment of refugees.

As a result, Syrians living inside the camps are now allowed for the first time to obtain work permits and work outside the camps. In Zaatari camp, the country’s largest refugee camp, a new job centre opened to help the people living there access the local labour market.

In Turkey, the ILO implements a comprehensive Refugee Response Programme focussing on skills development, job creation and labour market governance. Measures are taken to support access to the formal labour market and promote social cohesion. In addition, an incentive scheme to support employers to hire Syrian refugees has been scaled up. Around 8,000 beneficiaries were reached in 2018.

Mr Oumarou underlined that in order to find durable solutions, actors will need to provide the private sector with support to kick-start endogenous growth and decent job creation, reinforce the link between legal access to the labour market and actual access to decent employment, and promote access to social security for all workers.

“This will require continued and expanded partnerships among the humanitarian and development actors,” he concluded.