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From skill translation to devaluation: the de-qualification of migrants in Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2016

Deniz Ş. Sert
Deniz Ş. Sert*
Affiliation:
Department of International Relations, Özyeğin University, Çekmeköy Campus, Nişantepe Mahallesi, Orman Sokak 34794, Çekmeköy, İstanbul, Turkey, [email protected]
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Abstract

Within the context of the transformation of Turkey from a country of emigration to an immigration and transit country, the migration scene is becoming more heterogeneous, with both the formal and informal labor markets being increasingly internationalized. This paper focuses on de-qualification, defined as migrants taking on jobs that do not match their skills, which is a neglected issue within the migration literature on Turkey with the potential for further research. Based on open-ended interviews and participant observation in İstanbul, the paper elaborates on the different instruments of de-qualification. De-qualification is considered here as an important element of precariousness in the labor market, with different mechanisms functioning simultaneously; namely, accreditation problems, a language disadvantage, lack of information, and identity-based discrimination.

Keywords

De-qualificationdeskillingskills mismatchovereducationTurkeymigrants.
Type
Articles
Information
New Perspectives on Turkey , Volume 54: Special Issue on Precarious Lives and Syrian Refugees in Turkey , May 2016 , pp. 97 - 117
Copyright
© New Perspectives on Turkey and Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Footnotes

Author’s Note: The author would like to thank Muhip Ege Çağlıdil for his valuable assistance. This article is inspired by the research project entitled Urban Implications and Governance of CEE Migration in Europe, which is funded by Urban Europe and TÜBİTAK (113K021).

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