Turkey plans to offer work permits for Syrian refugees, an official said Monday, announcing a step that was praised by advocates for refugees, although the policy is primarily aimed at slowing the flow of refugees into Europe...Until now, all but 6,000 of the 2.2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey have been barred from entering the formal labor market, mainly due to concerns they will displace Turkish nationals in the workforce. Turkey’s unemployment rate is about 10 percent...Advocates for refugees have long called for host countries to give refugees the right to work legally, which is stipulated under the Geneva Convention but not always observed. While officials have raised concerns in Jordan and other countries in the region about stoking societal tensions if local populations perceive refugees to be “stealing” their jobs, advocates say that allowing refugees to work can be beneficial to the country in the long term.