To help Syrian refugees, Turkey and the EU should open more trading opportunities

After nine years of political conflict in Syria, more than 5.5 million Syrians are now displaced as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, with more than 3.6 million refugees in Turkey alone. It is unlikely that many of these refugees will be able to return home or resettle in Europe, Canada, or the United States. Attention has therefore turned to how to improve the ability for these refugees to integrate into Turkey’s economy and society.

In this episode of Dollar & Sense, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Kemal Kirişci joins David Dollar to offer his proposal for supporting refugees by pairing trade concessions with economic inclusion. Specifically, Kirişci recommends extending European Union trade concessions in the agricultural sector to incentivize Turkey to better integrate refugees into its labor market.

Related content: 

A plausible solution to the Syrian refugee crisis

How the EU and Turkey can promote self-reliance for Syrian refugees through agricultural trade

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