Illegal labourers in Jordan

Illegal migrant labourers pose a great problem to Jordan’s economy nowadays, given the size and range of government resources that are used by illegal workers.

Specifically, the government subsidises many goods and services, e.g., bread, electricity, gas, etc., with the aim of helping the Jordanian people cope with the high cost of living.

However, illegal labourers consume a big part of these subsidised goods and services without paying any form of tax or returns to the government for this privilege.

There are no precise government statistics on the number of illegal workers in Jordan. Most came from neighbouring Arab countries to work legally in specific sectors, e.g., farming, construction, hospitality, etc.

A significant portion of now illegal workers came from southeast Asia to work as domestic helpers or in the qualifying industrial zones.

Due to several reasons, however, these foreign workers left their authorised jobs and moved to work illegally in other business sectors.

One of the most common jobs in Jordan for illegal workers is that of building guard, which at times involves washing cars and collecting garbage.

The presence and activity of illegal labourers lead to many negative consequences for Jordan’s economy, notably the size of foreign currency transferred each month abroad without paying taxes in return.

Given the big challenges that face Jordan’s economy these days, the government, and especially the Ministry of Labour, should tackle the issue of illegal labourers at the root.

Recently, the UK government took a number of steps to deal with its illegal labourers. For example, any person who employs illegal workers in the UK can get a fine of up to £20,000 and could be jailed for up to two years.

As for illegal workers in the UK, they could be jailed for up to six months if they are caught and receive unlimited fines.

Mohammad Alhadab,
Amman