The project “Refugees in the global economy: situation, role, and implications: the case of Syrian refugee workers in the export industry in Istanbul (FMGESI)¨ is an assembly of five scientific and dissemination work packages (WP):
WP.1-Training literature review, and consulting secondary data: during this phase, the researcher received all of the necessary training through individual personalized ac-tion, including training to apply both qualitative and quantitative methods. He also received training to improve his working knowledge of several programs for data anal-ysis that he has not previously used. Other complementary–transferable skills include presentation skills, communication of research results to the non-specialist public, ad-vanced scientific writing, scientific networking, teaching, leadership or team manage-ment, task coordination.
WP.2-Field research: data collection (interviews). This period is dedicated to inter-viewing the refugee workers by using semi-structured in-depth interviews. At the end of this process, the researcher conducted 62 interviews: 42 male, and 20 females.
WP.3-Interviews transcription, and data analysis: this step occurred simultaneously with the previous step (data collection). All interviews were transcribed and analyzed directly after their realization. This stage included the preparation of the relevant parts of the draft.
WP.4-Publishing scientific articles: one scientific publication was published (Forced migrant’s sense of place: the case of Syrian refugee-workers in Istanbul, Turkey. In Work and Migration: Case Studies from Around the World. Transnational Press Lon-don, 2021). Two publications were sent to open-access journals; Vulnerable refugee groups in Istanbul´s textile industry: Syrian women and minors, and Syrian Refugees in Istanbul’s Clothing Industry.
WP.5-Management and dissemination: the researcher participated in various activities to present the results of this research. So far, he has published one article in Arabic and English and another article in Spanish and Arabic. That is in addition to oral presenta-tions at 10 international congresses.
This research achieves new advances in understanding the situation of Syrian refugee workers in Istanbul. It identifies ambiguity, extreme hyper-precarity, and segregation (since refugees mostly work in small workshops) as the most crucial concepts for understanding these conditions. The dimensions of socio-emotional well-being are dominated by depression and loss of control over life. Nonetheless, the personal (self) dimension (proud, optimistic, and staying positive with oneself) remains high. As a result, migration outside of Turkey emerges as a strategy to reach a place where regaining control over life becomes possible. Regarding the specific situation of the most vulnerable groups (women and minors), the research found that these refugees work in the lowest position in the organizational structures, usually as errand-boys (especially minors) and finishers (especially women) in the final stage of production. We also found that women prefer working in small workshops near home, because it offers them more flexibility and allows them to combine work with home-caring duties. However, the workshop owners often exploit their insecurity and need for more flexibility by drastically reducing their salaries under the guise of a compromise. This research also demonstrates the significance of spaces of encounters between employer-employee outside of the power relationships of the workplace to better understand workers’ experiences . Furthermore, it appeared that physical health seemed to occupy a central position in the discourses of women refugees about their well-being. At the same time, our research demonstrates the need to consider minors' claims of belonging as an urgent issue for their subjective wellbeing and integration.
