24/09/2026
After 14 years in Türkiye, 22-year-old Halid Fahil now proudly operates his own registered barbershop—benefiting the fundamental rights, social protection, and security that formal employment affords.
His transition to formality was facilitated through the targeted support of BİLMER (Information Centres).
Halid’s journey reflects the broader impact of this initiative. Implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) and local tripartite partners, BILMERs bridge the gap between legal rights and administrative procedures. By providing practical guidance on work permits, municipal licensing, and social security compliance, they facilitate transitions to formality for refugees, forcibly displaced persons, and host community members alike.
Our new knowledge brief demonstrates how institutional coordination and localized service delivery advance equality of opportunity and treatment in practice:
• 30,100+ workers provided with essential labour market advisory and referral services
• 10,800+ local businesses and micro-enterprises guided on regulatory compliance and formalization incentives
• 967 enterprises formally registered into the local economy
Explore the full publication to learn how the BİLMER model addresses barriers to formalization and supports sustainable labour market governance: https://www.ilo.org/resource/brief/information-centres-stronger-equality-opportunity-and-treatment-t%C3%BCrkiye
This initiative is funded through the “Promoting Decent Work for Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish Citizens” project, financed by the German Development Bank, KfW, and implemented by the ILO Office for Türkiye in partnership with the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (SGK), Turkish Social Security Institution.