OHS Problems of Migrants in Turkey and the Order of Importance: Pareto Analysis

Cengiz Akyildiz and İsmail Ekmekci
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Cengiz Akyildiz: Occupational Health and Safety Department, Istanbul Commerce University, Kucukyali E5 Kavsagi Inonu Cad. No: 4, Kucukyali, 34840 Istanbul, Turkey
İsmail Ekmekci: Industrial Engineering Department, Istanbul Commerce University, Kucukyali E5 Kavsagi Inonu Cad. No: 4, Kucukyali, 34840 Istanbul, Turkey

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: In Turkey, no studies have been conducted on the listing of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) problems of legal and illegal migrant workers, especially of Syrian origin, in the order of importance and the need to address solution suggestions according to this order. This study aims to list the OHS problems of migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, migrants under international protection, and irregular migrants employed in the production and service sectors in the order of importance and show their effect on solutions. The 40-item list of problems created by performing the literature review was weighted with the expert opinions of stakeholders related to migrants in Turkey, namely, universities, migrant NGOs, Syrian academicians, government units, migrant workers, and OHS specialists, and checked using Pareto analysis. In the table created by experts through the evaluation and weighting of the problems obtained from the literature review, the first eight questions (20%) constituted 79%, the next 12 questions (30%) constituted 16%, and the last 20 questions (50%) constituted 5%. When the first eight problems are analyzed, it is observed that the OSH problems of migrants are caused by the laws that are not enacted, the fact that the state institutions ignore migrant workers, and that migrant workers are completely vulnerable to OSH risks. Afterward, the same expert team was asked about solution proposals within the scope of the existing problems, and they were put in the order of importance via Pareto analysis. In Turkey, there is no law or legislation regarding OHS legislation for migrant workers. Migrant workers experience serious security and health problems. The state especially ignores illegal migrant workers. Illegal migrant workers are deprived of their security rights and the right to access health care. It is observed that 80% of the migrant workers’ problems will be resolved when the most important eight problems identified are resolved.

Keywords: Turkish OSH legislation; OHS risks; healthcare services; health status; migrant workers; security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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