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Report commends Jordan’s ‘rapid’ legal response to refugee crisis

By Ana V. Ibáñez Prieto - Mar 19,2018 - Last updated at Mar 19,2018

AMMAN — The Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) on Thursday issued a report on Jordan's legal response to the Syrian refugee crisis, which commended the efforts of several governmental agencies in partnership with UNHCR for their "rapid" support.

Presented at the third International Conference for Refugees in the Middle East, held at Yarmouk University last week, the study highlighted that the legal sections established at the refugee camps in Jordan have been “internationally recognised” for the several branches that they put at the disposal of refugees, comprising specialised services such as juvenile courts or family protection.

"Jordan has exerted many efforts to provide services in the best interest of refugees since the very beginning of the crisis," ARDD CEO Samar Muhareb told The Jordan Times, noting that "along with legal aid providers and UNHCR, the Jordanian government has established coordination mechanisms to provide protection services free of charge, in addition to ensuring that refugees hold all the necessary documentation in order to facilitate the application of the rule of law".

The study pointed out that the concerned parties have taken measures to guarantee the safety and quality of legal procedures by providing legal awareness programmes to beneficiaries, as well as improving the capacities of lawyers and other legal service providers.

The report stressed the importance of the Jordanian legal response, pointing out that "the legal services provided to refugees protect them against violations of human rights stipulated in several international conventions and the national legislation".

A rapid legal response is also “essential” in a crisis scenario as several services such as education or health “can only be offered on the basis of available legal information and planning”.

In urban refugee settings, Muhareb stressed the "significant amount of entities involved" in the legal response, noting "the efforts of the government together with UNHCR to inform officials and lawyers about regulations and means of responding to needs of refugees".

But there are more challenges, yet, to overcome, the expert said. 

“Seven years into the crisis, new needs arise every day,” she said, citing issues such as procedures to be followed to grant refugees access to the formal labour market outside the camps. 

“Jordan is facing great pressure when it comes to covering the needs of refugees and the legal aid sector is still not well evaluated,” Muhareb continued, adding “the ever changing situation and the lack of financial resources add to the challenges.”

However, several measures are currently under way, according to the expert, who highlighted the campaign initiated last month to encourage refugees to register with UNHCR and obtain their documentations, which resulted into a total of 25,000 newly registered refugees up to this point. 

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