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AMMAN — Refugee workers in Jordan continue to face widespread labour violations, with many enduring precarious conditions in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and other informal industries, according to a position paper released by Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights to mark World Refugee Day, observed annually on June 20.
The report calls for urgent reforms to strengthen both legal and social protections for refugees, emphasising the need to improve regulatory oversight, ensure the timely renewal of work permits, and establish safe, accessible channels for reporting abuse.
“Refugee workers, especially those in vulnerable sectors and remote areas, remain largely unprotected and at risk of exploitation,” the paper warns.
Tamkeen’s findings are based on 64 complaints documented between 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, highlighting a range of violations, including non-payment of wages, lack of social security coverage, and the absence of valid work or residency permits.
The paper noted that Jordan currently hosts over 615,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR, in addition to around 2.4 million Palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate, which makes up more than a quarter of the Kingdom’s total population.
The vast majority of refugees live outside official camps, with around 81 per cent residing in urban or rural communities. Only 19 per cent are housed in camps such as Zaatari and Azraq, according to Tamkeen.
“Syrian refugees make up over 90 per cent of the registered population, followed by Iraqis, Yemenis, Sudanese, and Somalis,” Tamkeen told The Jordan Times.
Children represent more than a third of the overall refugee population, a figure that underscores the vulnerability of this demographic and the pressing need for improved access to education, healthcare, and protection services.
The report also highlighted that a quarter of all refugees in Jordan are classified as having specific needs, including over 57,000 persons with disabilities, and thousands of women and children identified by UN criteria as being at heightened risk.
Labour-related complaints submitted to Tamkeen reveal patterns of abuse that vary across sectors, gender, and nationality. Men accounted for 77 per cent of all complaints, while women submitted 23 per cent, a disparity attributed to both higher male participation in the labour force and social or cultural obstacles that discourage women from reporting violations.
Syrian refugees filed 84.4 per cent of all complaints, followed by Sudanese workers. The most affected sectors were construction, accounting for nearly half of all complaints, and agriculture, which represented just under a quarter. Additional complaints were reported from workers in factories, restaurants, security services, beauty salons, and cleaning services.
Violations included delayed salaries, arbitrary deductions, or non-payment of wages, with 11 workers reporting they had never been paid at all. Other complaints involved the denial of access to social security or the withholding of contributions without official registration in the system.
Some workers were penalised for failing to renew work permits or residency documents, often due to employer negligence or financial barriers. Thirteen individuals reported having no legal documentation whatsoever, leaving them vulnerable to detention, fines, or deportation.
Tamkeen said these violations reflect persistent gaps in Jordan’s legal framework and enforcement mechanisms. The organisation called on government agencies to revise current policies, strengthen inspection systems, and ensure that complaint mechanisms are accessible to all refugee workers, especially women and those living outside major urban centres.
In late May, the Ministry of Labour announced a temporary suspension on the recruitment of non-Jordanian workers, excluding domestic staff, pending a comprehensive review of the labour market.
Labour Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Zayoud confirmed that the suspension would be accompanied by intensified inspection campaigns, carried out in coordination with the Interior Ministry and the Public Security Directorate.
Meanwhile, the ministry, in partnership with international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UNHCR, and the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions, has previously overseen the rollout of sector-specific work permits for Syrian refugees, particularly in construction and agriculture.