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Refugees

Turkey grapples with loss of labor as Syrian refugees return home

Many Turkish companies dependent on Syrian labor are concerned as Syrian refugees start returning home. Deutsche Welle, DW’s, Dorian Jones reports from the border between the two countries.

DW & The World
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Syrian families arrive at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria from Turkey near Antakya, southern Turkey, Dec. 10, 2024.

Metin Yoksu/AP/File photo

Now that Syria’s civil war has more or less ended, hundreds of thousands of refugees are returning home.

Turkey took in more Syrians than any other country in the world — and their continuing presence has, according to polls, become a political liability for the government.

But many Turkish companies are dependent on Syrian labor, and the returns are posing a major headache.

Deutsche Welle, DW’s, Dorian Jones reports from the industrial city of Gaziantep, close to Syria’s border.

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