The never-ending harvest: Syrian refugees exploited on Turkish farms, 15 December 2016

“When we don’t get paid, we get very creative with the little food we have,” [says Emine Sahin, a Syrian refugee and a mother of eight] Now, like most of the 150,000 Syrian refugees registered in [the Turkish province of] Adana, she and her family are dependent on seasonal farm work to sustain themselves … exploitation of the Syrians, who now make up 85 percent of the agricultural workforce in Adana, is rampant and they live in isolated tent settlements far from schools and health facilities. Almost half of the school-aged Syrian children living here work in the fields…

According to a new study by the Ankara-based Development Workshop, Syrian agricultural labourers in Adana work an average of 11 hours a day for 38 Turkish lira ($11), about two thirds what Turks earn for the same work. The study, which was funded by the EU’s emergency aid department, ECHO, found Syrian workers often had to wait several months after bringing in a harvest before getting paid… New legislation was introduced in 2016 that, on paper at least, allows Syrians to apply for work permits. But the agricultural and animal-rearing sectors are exempt from needing permits. The result is that Syrian farm labourers are not covered by basic labour laws and are left at the mercy of unscrupulous employers.