Number of foreign nationals working in Turkey has almost doubled in 2 years

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Minister of Family, Labor and Social Services Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk has answered the Parliamentary question submitted by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer to raise concerns and awareness about the problems of foreign nationals informally employed in restaurants and food sector in Turkey.

According to the figures shared by Minister Selçuk, while 87 thousand 182 foreign nationals were granted work permits in 2017, this number was 115 thousand 837 in 2018 and 145 thousand 232 in 2019.

Based on the work permits still valid as of June 1, 2020, Minister Selçuk has also noted that the highest number of work permits were given to the citizens of Syria, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Iran.

No longer obliged to have medical examination

The answer of the Ministry has also revealed that while the law that was in force until 2011 stipulated that "those selling food and beverages and working in the sectors concerning hygiene and cleanliness should undergo medical examination and have a medical report once in three months," this article of the law has then been amended.

The law now stipulates that the related workplaces shall either ensure their workers to get the necessary training on hygiene or employ people who have received such training before they start working.

Workplace doctor's surveillance

Further in her answer, Selçuk has referred to the Bylaw on the Duty, Authority, Responsibility and Training of Workplace Doctors and Other Health Personnel, which was published in the Official Gazette on July 20, 2013. 

"...in inspections conducted as per this bylaw, it is inspected whether the medical reports are issued as per the bylaw and whether the personnel were given training on hygiene or not," Minister Selçuk has said.

Health checks at hospital must be obligatory

Commenting on the answer of the Minister, Gürer has noted that it is wrong to completely abandon regular health checks and lung x-rays for the ones working in restaurants and food and beverage sectors.

He has said that constant health checks must be obligatory for the ones working in the food sector. Referring to the pandemic, he has said that "there should be a return to health checks to be conducted in medical institutions, especially taking the pandemic and public health into consideration."

"The health of a person working in a bakery, pastry shop and restaurant is directly connected to the health of all consumers that he or she is in direct communication with," CHP MP Gürer has underlined.

Noting that "foreign nationals are usually employed at lower wages and unhealthy conditions," he has underlined that the health conditions in the workplaces where they work must be monitored more closely.

He has also noted that "the health checks of workers need to be done by state institutions as the health of workers is too important to be left to the initiative of businesses." So, he has called on the authorities to make the necessary amendments by taking the pandemic into account. (HA/SD)