Gov’t taking measures to legalise Syrian labour

AMMAN — The government is studying a decision to give Syrians, who work in the country without permits, a three-month period to rectify their situation as a step to legalise their employment, sources familiar with the issue said on Sunday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said the decision under consideration comes in line with the government’s plan to allow Syrians to work legally in the Kingdom in light of the outcomes of the London donor conference that took place in February.

Meanwhile, a government official said that the Ministry of Labour would continue to take measures to legalise the Syrian workforce in Jordan, according to the procedures and understandings reached with the international community. 

In a previous statement, the Labour Ministry said there are some 90,000 Syrians in the country’s job market, with less than 5,000 with work permits.

The Kingdom hosts some 1.3 million Syrians, with less than half of them registered with the UNHCR.

Following the London conference, the government announced that donor countries pledged millions of dollars to help Jordan cope with the Syrian refugee crisis in the form of grants and cheap loans, while the Kingdom has pledged to integrate Syrians into the labour market.

At a press conference in February, the government said that allowing Syrians to join the workforce would not "by any means" affect job opportunities for Jordanians.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said at the time that Syrian refugees in the Kingdom will not compete with Jordanians over job opportunities, adding that they would be allowed to work in jobs usually shunned by Jordanians.

Last week, the World Bank announced a $100 million zero-interest loan to Jordan to provide jobs for 100,000 Jordanians and Syrians, as part of a larger package of assistance to help the country address the refugee crisis through development-oriented solutions.