20,000 domestic workers deported based on ‘block list’ system — recruitment agencies union

AMMAN — The Ministry of Labour has deported 20,000 foreign domestic workers based on the “block list” system since the system’s introduction, according to the president of the domestic worker recruitment agencies union.

The union revealed in a statement that the “block list” system was approved by the government following a recommendation from the Ministry of Labour in June 2021.

In the statement, union head Lawrence Abu Zaid said that no statistics are currently available about the numbers of foreign workers who have been deported in general.

Every few months, the Ministry of Labour sends a notification to the Minister of Interior, with a list of the foreign workers who have not renewed their work permits within three months of expiration. These workers are then automatically included on the “block list”, which prohibits them from entering the country. 

Calling on the government to retract the policy, Abu Zaid described the practice as a violation of the rights of foreign workers.

“What is the sin committed by the domestic worker in order to be deported? Do they not enjoy the right to return to their work in Jordan, considering they are required to retroactively pay fines and work permit fees to the Ministry of Labour even when they are outside the country?” Abu Zaid said.