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TURKEY SEES SURGE IN ILLEGAL WORKERS
Ercan Yavuz Ankara
Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 6 2007
Following the murder of Hrant Dink, it was claimed that 40,000 to
70,000 Armenians were working illegally in Turkey.
The Interior Ministry and the Labor and Social Security Ministry
launched a comprehensive investigation concerning foreign nationals
working illegally in Turkey.
Turkey's unemployment rate is above 9 percent, and there are
approximately 5.4 million unemployed Turkish citizens. The issue of
illegal workers has just begun to be tackled after Dink's murder.
During the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey last November, it was
alleged that foreign nationals were taken to Turkey to be illegally
employed and that Turkish security authorities were aware of this
process. As most of these illegal workers worked as prostitutes,
Republican People's Party (CHP) Ýstanbul deputy Onur Oymen had issued
a parliamentary question concerning the allegations to be answered
by Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu. In the written answer sent to
Oymen, Aksu noted, "Foreign nationals are not illegally employed by
security forces or other government bodies."
274,458 people were deported
The Interior Ministry found out that 4,109 illegal workers from 32
countries were caught and deported within the last four months. The
number of illegal workers who were deported in the last year was
19,754.
Frequent deportation by the Interior Ministry shows that Turkey is
the most popular destination for foreign illegal workers. Overall,
274,459 people were reportedly deported within the last 10 years.
Between 1996 and 2006, 33,394 foreign nationals were deported
on charges of prostitution while 221,310 people were deported for
passport violations. Thus, the number of deported illegal workers
amounted to 274,458. Considering this figure relates only to those
who were caught and deported, the actual numbers of foreign nationals
working illegally in Turkey might be much higher than estimated.
The legality of employing foreign nationals in Turkey is audited
by labor inspectors from the Labor and Social Security Ministry and
insurance inspectors from Social Security Authority (SSK) as per the
provisions of the Work Permits of Foreign Nationals Law No. 4817.
According the Labor Ministry data, 4,104 nationals from 32 countries
were identified as illegal workers between 2002 and 2006. Within
this scope, 10,754 foreign nationals were deported due to illegal
employment during the last 10 years.
They pay fines, continue to work illegally
Foreign nationals who do not have residence permits in Turkey and
those who employ them are issued fines by Labor Ministry inspectors.
These foreign nationals can stay in Turkey if they pay these fines
and obtain a work permit. The fine levied illegal foreign workers is
YTL 1,000.
As the fine for the employers of illegal foreign workers is YTL 2,500,
many tourist establishments prefer to employ foreign workers.
These workers, who have come to Turkey with tourist visas and work
illegally, are deported irrespective of their nationalities.
A significant portion of illegal foreign workers in Turkey are
prostitutes. Romanian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Georgian and Russian
women who entered Turkey following the disintegration of the Soviet
Union were later employed illegally by organized crime gangs in Turkey.
Despite the significant drop in such employment in recent years,
Turkey is still a center of attraction for illegal foreign workers.
Immigration, wars, economic crises and high unemployment rates in
the region are aggravating the problem for Turkey. Former CHP Kocaeli
Deputy Bekir Yurdagul even filed a report with the Labor and Social
Security Ministry on charges that the US Army employed illegal foreign
workers at Ýncirlik airbase in Adana.
A report issued by the Ýstanbul police maintained that the number of
Romanian paper collectors was increasing and that they stole traffic
panels, power cables, manholes and garbage bins, forcing their children
to steal as well.
The Ýstanbul police further stated that there was a 2 percent increase
in crimes disturbing public order.
--Boundary_(ID_QHST2mSZmwloTQuIsZeuGw)--
Ercan Yavuz Ankara
Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 6 2007
Following the murder of Hrant Dink, it was claimed that 40,000 to
70,000 Armenians were working illegally in Turkey.
The Interior Ministry and the Labor and Social Security Ministry
launched a comprehensive investigation concerning foreign nationals
working illegally in Turkey.
Turkey's unemployment rate is above 9 percent, and there are
approximately 5.4 million unemployed Turkish citizens. The issue of
illegal workers has just begun to be tackled after Dink's murder.
During the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey last November, it was
alleged that foreign nationals were taken to Turkey to be illegally
employed and that Turkish security authorities were aware of this
process. As most of these illegal workers worked as prostitutes,
Republican People's Party (CHP) Ýstanbul deputy Onur Oymen had issued
a parliamentary question concerning the allegations to be answered
by Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu. In the written answer sent to
Oymen, Aksu noted, "Foreign nationals are not illegally employed by
security forces or other government bodies."
274,458 people were deported
The Interior Ministry found out that 4,109 illegal workers from 32
countries were caught and deported within the last four months. The
number of illegal workers who were deported in the last year was
19,754.
Frequent deportation by the Interior Ministry shows that Turkey is
the most popular destination for foreign illegal workers. Overall,
274,459 people were reportedly deported within the last 10 years.
Between 1996 and 2006, 33,394 foreign nationals were deported
on charges of prostitution while 221,310 people were deported for
passport violations. Thus, the number of deported illegal workers
amounted to 274,458. Considering this figure relates only to those
who were caught and deported, the actual numbers of foreign nationals
working illegally in Turkey might be much higher than estimated.
The legality of employing foreign nationals in Turkey is audited
by labor inspectors from the Labor and Social Security Ministry and
insurance inspectors from Social Security Authority (SSK) as per the
provisions of the Work Permits of Foreign Nationals Law No. 4817.
According the Labor Ministry data, 4,104 nationals from 32 countries
were identified as illegal workers between 2002 and 2006. Within
this scope, 10,754 foreign nationals were deported due to illegal
employment during the last 10 years.
They pay fines, continue to work illegally
Foreign nationals who do not have residence permits in Turkey and
those who employ them are issued fines by Labor Ministry inspectors.
These foreign nationals can stay in Turkey if they pay these fines
and obtain a work permit. The fine levied illegal foreign workers is
YTL 1,000.
As the fine for the employers of illegal foreign workers is YTL 2,500,
many tourist establishments prefer to employ foreign workers.
These workers, who have come to Turkey with tourist visas and work
illegally, are deported irrespective of their nationalities.
A significant portion of illegal foreign workers in Turkey are
prostitutes. Romanian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Georgian and Russian
women who entered Turkey following the disintegration of the Soviet
Union were later employed illegally by organized crime gangs in Turkey.
Despite the significant drop in such employment in recent years,
Turkey is still a center of attraction for illegal foreign workers.
Immigration, wars, economic crises and high unemployment rates in
the region are aggravating the problem for Turkey. Former CHP Kocaeli
Deputy Bekir Yurdagul even filed a report with the Labor and Social
Security Ministry on charges that the US Army employed illegal foreign
workers at Ýncirlik airbase in Adana.
A report issued by the Ýstanbul police maintained that the number of
Romanian paper collectors was increasing and that they stole traffic
panels, power cables, manholes and garbage bins, forcing their children
to steal as well.
The Ýstanbul police further stated that there was a 2 percent increase
in crimes disturbing public order.
--Boundary_(ID_QHST2mSZmwloTQuIsZeuGw)--