WorkpermitsforSyrianrefugeesinJordan

InternationalLabourOrganizationRegionalOfficeforArabStates

2015

BackgroundTo date, there are around 630,000 Syrians registered as refugees in Jordan. 1Unofficial estimates put the number of unregistered refugees at around 741,000people.2Unlikemigrantworkersofothernationalities,Syrianrefugeesfleeingconflictintheirhome country do not enter host countries with the intention to work. Yet, mostrefugees arrive to their host country with little to no economic resources, and itthereforebecomesinevitablethatfindingworkisessentialtomakeendsmeet.AccordingtoarecentInternationalLabourOrganization(ILO)study3,99%ofSyrianrefugeesworkoutsideJordan’slabourregulationsandintheinformaleconomy.Thissubsequentlymeans that almost all Syrian refugeeworkers are employed in jobs,which are not subject to national labour legislation, income taxation, socialprotection,entitlementtocertainemploymentbenefitsorhaveawrittencontract.ThestudyalsofoundthatSyrianworkersinJordanarewillingtoacceptlowerwagesandharsherworkingconditionsthanJordanians,competingwithJordaniansinsomesectorsand further increasing the informalityof the labourmarket.This isputtingmorepressureonJordanianauthoritiestoenforceexistinglabourstandardssuchasminimumwage,workinghoursandsafetyatwork.Evenpriortothecrisis,Jordanwasfacinganumberoflabourmarketchallenges,suchashighnationalunemployment,dependencyonlowwageandforeignlabour,whichhasleftthecountryunabletomeetitsnationals’economicopportunityneeds.Refugees’rightandaccesstoworkinJordanJordan lacks domestic refugee legislation and policy that would outline concretemeasures and provisions for planning, rights and protection for its refugeepopulation.Syrians entering the country as asylum seekers orwho are registered as refugeeswithUNHCRarenotgivenresidency,which, inturn,seriously limitstheirabilitytoseeklawfulemployment.While Jordan asserts that it has given Syrian refugees priority over other non-Jordaniansinobtainingworkpermits,verylittlehasbeendonetofacilitatetheworkpermitprocedure.However,therearespecificguidelinesforobtainingworkpermitsincertainsectorsinaccordancewithJordanianregulations.

1StatisticsforOctober2015.Forupdateddataandinformation,see2AssessmentCapacitiesProject(ACAPS).“SyriaNeedsAnalysisProject,April2014”,page18.Availableatwww.acaps.org3FormoreinformationontheILOstudy,entitled“ImpactofSyrianRefugeesontheJordanianLabourMarket”,seehttp://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---arabstates/---ro-beirut/documents/publication/wcms_242021.pdf

Challenges

• According to the Ministry of Labour, Syrian refugees are given priority over otherforeignnationals toapply forworkpermits,provided thepositions theyareapplyingfor do not compete with Jordanians. However, given the generally low skill sets ofSyrianworkers,manyendupcompetingwith lower-skilled Jordanianworkers for thesamejobs.Consequently,Syrianseitherdonotapplyforworkpermitsoraredenied,leadingmanytoengageinpaidworkwithoutanyworkpermit.

• Although under Jordanian law, employers are required to pay their workers’ fees,SyrianworkersinterviewedbytheILOsaythatinpractice,itistheworkersthemselveswhoenduppayingthefeesrequiredfortheworkpermitaswellasthesocialsecuritycontribution.Thesefeesaretoohighformostrefugeestoafford4.

• Syrian refugees and other foreign workers applying for a work permit must pass abackground security check. Given the complex security dynamics of the Syrian crisisand the number of refugees currently in Jordan, in addition to loss of identitydocuments,thisrequirementalsoprovesverychallengingforSyrians.

MIGRANTWORKERSWITHWORKPERMITS:According to theMinistry of Labour’s annual report for 2014, out of the324,410workerswhoobtainedworkpermits,only5,700ofthemwereSyrians,mostlyinthefoodservicesector, suchas restaurantsand themanufacturingsector.Thismakesaround1.7%ofthetotalforeignworkforcewithworkpermits.5

Source:MOLannualreport2014

4Thetotalcostsforoneworkpermitcanbeupto800JDinconstructionsector5TheMinistryofLabour’sannualreport2014,page101.Seehttp://mol.gov.jo/Documents/السنویة20%التقاریر/المكتبة/Taqrer%20Ministry%20Of%20Labour%202014.pdf

1.7

98.3

PercentageofSyrainRefugeesWithWorkPermits

Syrianrefugees Othermigrantworker

Source:MOLannualreport2014

AcquiringaworkpermitinJordan

AreSyrianworkersentitledtoworkpermitsinJordan?Yes, Syrians are entitled to acquiring work permits in Jordan. The requisites forapplyingforandobtainingworkpermitsarepredominantlysimilartothoseofothernon-Jordanian workers in Jordan. According to theMinistry of Labour, one maindifference is that Syrian workers who have entered Jordan through unofficialbordersorwhoareresidentsofrefugeecampsarenotentitledtoworkpermits.6Aswithothernon-Jordanianworkers,SyriansmayapplyforpermitsprovidedtheyareapplyingforpositionsthatdonotcompetewithJordaniansandthesectorstheyareapplyingforarenot‘’closed’’tonon-Jordanians.Yeteveninopensectors,Syrianworkers are limited by foreign workers’ quotas within each sector as well as byspecificquotaforSyrianinvestorsforemployingSyrianrefugees.7 6SyrianswhoenterthroughunofficialcrossingsareoftenmetbytheJordanianauthoritieswhoprovidethemwithshelterortakesthemtooneofthecamps.Identitydocumentsareoftentakenawayfromarrivingrefugees,limitingtheirfreedomofmovementandrighttoworkintheirhostcountry.Formoreinformation,seeILOpublicationsentitled“AccesstoworkforSyrianrefugeesinJordan:adiscussionpaperonlabourandrefugeelawsandpolicies”http://www.ilo.org/beirut/publications/WCMS_357950/lang--en/index.htm.7Seethequotastablebelowforfurtherdetails.

SyrainRefugeesWithWorkPermitsDisaggregatedBySector

AgricultureManifacturingConstructionRetailandsalesAccommodationandfoodservicesOther

ProfessionsandindustriesinwhichonlyJordaniancitizensareallowedtoworkin,include:•Medicalprofessions•Engineeringprofessions•Administrativeandaccountingprofessions•Clericalworkincludingtypingandsecretarialwork•Switchboards,telephonesandconnectionsworks•Warehousesworks•Salesworks,includingallgroups•Haircuttingworks(coiffeur)•Decorationworks•Teachingprofessions,includingallspecialtiesexceptfortherareoneswhenthereisnoJordanianavailable•Fuelsellinginmaincities•Electricityprofessions•Mechanicalandcarrepairprofessions•Drivers•Guardsandservants•Buildingsservants8Whatdocumentsarerequiredwhenapplyingforaworkpermit?The work permit is valid for one year. Syrian workers and their employers mustprovidetheLabourDirectoratewiththefollowing:

• Applicationform• Twocopiesoftheworkcontract• Validvocationallicenseoftheestablishment• Acopyofavalidpassportfortheworker• ProoffromtheSocialSecurityCorporationofworkers’subscription• MinistryofInterior’sidentitycard

Iftheworkerisapplyingforthefirsttime,theapplicationisreferredtoacommitteeattheministryforapproval.Whatarethefeesforobtainingaworkpermit?

UnderJordanianlaw,employersarerequiredtopayforaworker’spermit.Thefeesrangefrom170–370JordanianDinars ($240-$522).Yet, thesefeesaresubjecttoincreaseaccordingtotheMinistryofLabourandinsomecases,theymayreachashighas700JD($986).

8Formoredetails,seehttp://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=23748

RecommendationsILOrecommendations,include:

• EasingtheproceduresinvolvedinobtainingvalidworkpermitsforSyrianrefugeesfromtheMinistryofLabourbydisseminatingclearinstructionstotheLabourdirectoratesinthefieldaroundtheKingdom.

• Disseminatingworkpermitguidelineswithinrefugeecommunities.• LinkingworkpermitstotheMinistryofInterior’sidentitycardstoreplacethe

needforSyrianpassports.• Delinkingtheworkpermitapplicationsfromanemployer.• Loweringthecostoftheworkpermittoencouragerefugeestoapply.

CaseStudiesFaisal is one of more than 600,000 Syrian refugees who have fled to Jordan toescape the bloody conflict tearing their home country apart. Around 100,000 oftheseSyriansliveinrefugeecamps.Buttherest,includingFaisal,havefoundshelterinexistingurbanandruralcommunities,particularly inthecapitalAmmanandthenortherngovernoratesofIrbidandMafraq.

He says thatapplying foraworkpermit is impossible, so insteadhe just reliesonirregularworkinconstructiontohelpsupporthiswifeandfourdaughters.’’My situation was very good in Syria. Work was good. Now in Jordan, I amworking in construction,which is theonlyworkavailable. Theworkhere is verydifferent fromwhat Iusedtodo inSyriabut Ihave towork topay the rentandsupportmychildren.’’‘’WeSyriansdon’thavetherighttoworkbecauseweareregisteredrefugees.Thismeanswearen’tentitled toworkpermits. Sowe relyonworking independentlybecausewearen’tallowedtowork.’’

***

Ahmad9came to Jordan in 2011 to help support his wife, five children and ailingparentswhomhewasforcedtoleavebehindinwar-tornSyrian.AfteralmostfiveyearsworkinginconstructioninAmman,hehasfinallymanagedtoobtain a work permit. But the process, he says, was agonizing, even though he

9Nothisrealname.

enteredthecountry legallyandhispassport isvalid.Eventhehighfees,whichtheemployerisrequiredtopay,hadtobeprovidedbyAhmad.‘’Aftermonths of beggingmy employer to apply formywork permit, he finallyagreed.Whenwefirstarrivedatthelabourdirectorate,everyonewassurprisedtoseeaSyrianapplyingforaworkpermit.Itwasalmostunheardof.’’

‘’Ittookussixmonthsofgoingbackandforthtothe labourdirectorateofficetofinallygettheworkpermit.Theprocesswascomplicatedandtherewerenoclearguidelinesastowhatwasneeded.ButIhavemyworkpermitnowandIhopethiswillhelpimprovemysituation.”

***Contrarytopopularbelief,theJordaniangovernmentsaysSyrianrefugeescaneasilybegivenworkpermitsundercertainconditions.Hani Sawalha, of theMigration Department at theMinistry of Labour: ‘’If Syrianworkersenterthecountryinanofficialwayandtheyarenotresidentsofacampthey have the right to awork permits. If they apply through the right channelswithallthevaliddocuments,thentheyshouldnotfaceany issues inobtainingaworkpermit,providedthesectororprofessionisopentonon-Jordanians.’’

Hussein Quran, the director of Labour Department in Irbid: “A large number ofSyrian refugees have settled in the Governorate of Irbid. Themajority of themhave entered the labour market, which has caused a degree of disruption andchaos. Yet, any Syrian worker who possesses a passport and a securityidentificationcardcanacquireaworkpermitforsectors(whichareopentonon-Jordaniansnationals)aslongasthelimitontheirnumbershasn’tbeenreached.’’

Quotaofmigrantworkersbasedoneconomicsectors

Sector %ofJordanianWorkers %ofMigrantWorkersFuel 60% 40%SupportServices 70% 30%UnratedRestaurants 55% 45%Carwashprofession 30% 70%Construction 50% 50%

IndustrialsectorSector %ofJordanianWorkers %ofMigrantWorkers

Chemicals 80% 20%Mining 85% 15%Food 80 20%Therapeutic 95% 5%Engineering 85% 15%Printingandpackaging 80% 20%Wooden 65% 35%Construction 50% 50%Plastic 40% 60%ClothingindustryexceptQIZ

60% 40%

Garments 60% 40%GarmentswithQIZ 30% 70%

HotelsandTouristicgetaways

Sector %ofJordanianWorkers %ofMigrantWorkers5stars 88% 12%

4,3stars 85% 15%2,1stars 75% 25%

SyrianInvestors

SyrianInvestors %ofJordanianWorkers %ofMigrantWorkersOutsidetheindustrial

areas40% 60%

Insidetheindustrialareas 30% 70%

Source:MinistryofLabour

InternationalLabourOrganization

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