“Instead of Being a Burden to the Economy, Refugees Contribute to It”

According to the report called “Syrian Refugees and Turkish Economy” by International Technology, Economy and Social Research Foundation (UTESAV), refugees have made big contributions to the economy instead of being a burden.

Prof. Bekir Berat Özipek, who prepared the report, says: “Economy is not a static process. It is indeed dynamic. It grows along with the newcomers. Lawmakers should remove the obstacles which lies before the economical growth.”

According to the data published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Syrian refugees in Turkey are 3 million 570 thousand and 352. According to the same data, 216 thousand 890 live in refugee camps while 3 million 353 thousand 462 people live in cities or districts.

The report says: “It is possible to see refugees as a new potential, especially in cities that have older population. They contribute to the economy by producing, consuming and making wheels turn. Short-term job loss does not decrease their value in macro scale. There is visible economic invigoration in cities which Syrian refugees are high in number.”

In the result section of the report, it is said that it is hard to decide when refugees would return back to their countries, so permanent solutions should be found.