ANKARA: Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci announced that the number of Syrians who have voluntarily returned to their country since 2016 has exceeded 1,434,000 people.
The number of Syrians under the temporary protection system in Turkiye stands at 2,259,000, Anadolu News Agency quoted him as saying.
Ciftci made the remarks during a consultation and evaluation meeting on migration at the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority in Istanbul on Friday.
Turkish authorities have decided to exempt foreigners under temporary protection from obtaining work permits, taking into account the labor market needs that Syrians help meet, said the minister.
He added that Turkiye attaches importance to employing Syrians in a regulated manner, just like all other foreigners, and pointed out that the government is conducting a comprehensive assessment of voluntary return processes, the future of the temporary protection system, and mechanisms for regular migration.
