Fewer than two per cent of the Syrian refugees are housed in camps. Most of them live together with the local population in towns and cities that have to cope with this large growth in population. In Kilis on the border with Syria, for example, there are now more Syrians than locals. Since 2016, refugees have been able to apply for a work permit in Turkey and then take up official work. Furthermore, they are legally entitled to education and social services such as healthcare.
Under the refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union, for hosting Syrian refugees Turkey will receive up to six billion euros in the areas of education, health and humanitarian aid. In June 2021, the EU promised a further three billion euros to support refugees in Turkey.
Among the local population, however, reservations about the refugees are growing, and tensions continue to rise. This is partly because more and more people are feeling the effects of the country's economic crisis. In mid-2021, inflation was 17.5 per cent, electricity prices rose by 15 per cent and natural gas prices by 20 per cent.
