In mid-January, Turkey finally granted Syrian refugees the right to work legally, five years after the influx from its war-torn southern neighbor began. However, many of the more highly qualified Syrians who fled to Turkey have already made their way to Europe, either as selected migrants or by braving clandestine sea and land journeys.

In dealing with the incessant wave of refugees, Ankara had focused on accommodation, and the issue of work permits was not treated as a priority. Similarly, combing out more highly qualified, well-trained Syrians and benefiting from them was not seen as something worthy of quick action. An overwhelming number of working refugees were employed illegally in low-paid, unattractive jobs.

Shortly before the larger-scale granting of work permits formally took effect Jan. 15, the government’s spokesman, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, said that out of 2.4 million Syrians who had taken refuge in Turkey since 2011, only 7,351 had been given work permits — a striking figure illustrating how Syrians were shut off from the labor market. Only better-off Syrians who had the means to start their own small- and medium-scale enterprises had acquired work permits, while the rest were employed illegally as cheap labor.

Now, a new chapter has opened for the Syrians in Turkey. The Jan. 15 regulation covers all Syrians who have completed their registration procedures in the country. However, they will be able to work only in the provinces where they reside, and the number of Syrians in a given workplace will be limited to 10% of the total staff.