VATANDAŞLIK FARK YARATMADIĞINDA: COVID-19 PANDEMİ SÜRECİNDE TÜRKİYE’DE MEVSİMLİK GÖÇMEN TARIM İŞÇİLERİ ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Bu makale, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde Türkiye’deki mevsimlik tarım işçilerinin karşılaştığı koşullar üzerinden neoliberal politikaların vatandaşlığın koruyucu boyutlarını nasıl aşındırdığına dair temel bir argüman geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makaleye zemin olan bulgular, 2020 başlarında tarım aracıları ve tarımsal üretimi düzenleyen kurumsal aktörlerle yapılan yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmelere ve masa başı araştırmasına dayanan bir projeye dayanmaktadır. Bu araştırmadan seçilmiş veriler farklı yasal statülere sahip olmalarına rağmen hem Türk vatandaşlarının hem de geçici koruma altındaki Suriyeli mültecilerin benzer kırılganlıklarla (sağlık hizmetlerine, eğitime ve güvenli çalışma ve yaşam koşullarına sınırlı erişim) karşı karşıya olduğunu göstermektedir. Bulgular, neoliberal tarım reformlarının, emeğin kayıt dışılığı ve devletin refah hizmetlerinden çekilmesiyle birleşerek vatandaş ve vatandaş olmayanlar arasındaki güvencesizliğin sınırlarını bulanıklaştırdığını ortaya koymaktadır. Makale, Türkiye'nin durumunu küresel mevsimlik tarım işçiliği ve göç kalıpları içinde konumlandırarak, pandeminin vatandaşlık korumalarının aşınmasının tüm vatandaşları nasıl etkilediğini ortaya koyduğunu savunmak ve buradan göçmenlerin konumlarının güçlendirilmesinin, vatandaşlığın daha geniş sosyal haklarının yeniden tesis edilmesi için elzem olduğu sonucuna varmaktadır.

Keywords

• Vatandaşlık
• İşçi hakları
• Mevsimlik göçmen tarım işçileri
• Suriyeli mülteciler
• COVID-19 salgını

WHEN CITIZENSHIP MAKES NO DIFFERENCE: THE CASE OF SEASONAL MIGRANT AGRICULTURAL WORKERS IN TURKIYE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This article aims to address arguments that neoliberal policies have eroded the protective scope of citizenship since the 1990s through the example of experiences of seasonal agricultural workers in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presented findings are based on a project entailing desk research and semi-structured interviews with institutional actors regulating agricultural production in March and April of 2020. In the context of that research project, a survey was conducted with 70 agricultural intermediaries preparing for the harvest season in 12 provinces regarding pandemic measures for seasonal agricultural workers. A review of the data selected from the research reveals that Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees under temporary protection faced comparable vulnerabilities, including constrained access to healthcare, education, and safe working and living conditions, despite having different legal statuses. The findings indicate that neoliberal agricultural reforms have blurred the boundaries between citizens and non-citizens with regard to social and economic insecurities, coupled with the informality of labour and the withdrawal of state welfare services.

Keywords

• Citizenship
• Labour rights
• Seasonal migrant agricultural workers
• Syrian refugees
• COVID-19 pandemic

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