JORDAN – The ILO has launched an e-learning programme for Syrian refugees in Jordan that explains their rights and responsibilities under the country’s labour law, following the recent announcement by the Ministry of Labour to allow Syrian camps refugees to work outside the camps.
The number of Syrian refugees stands at approximately 1.3 million according to the Government of Jordan, including 657,000 registered with UNHCR, with a vast majority living in urban areas.
“Helping Syrian refugees become formally employed is an important step towards protecting workers and improving their conditions at work,” said Maha Kattaa, coordinator for the ILO Syrian Refugee Response in Jordan. “We have therefore designed a free, easy-to-use program, which is accessible through smartphone devices, to encourage more Syrian workers to apply for work permits.”
The program will initially be used by 500 Syrians in Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa, Amman, working in the construction sector; as well as the agricultural sector, where are large number of workers are women. It will be expanded to reach more workers in other sectors.
For some time, the Ministry of Labour has been trying to encourage Syrian refugees to enter the labour market through the Jordan Document on the Syrians submitted to the donor conference last February, however, refugees are refusing to issue permits, fearing the loss of their rights as refugee, which are constantly being met by financial assistance provided by UNHCR and others. . Refugees are also concerned about the loss of their right of resettlement in a third country to asylum seekers, while some find it hard to get an employer who is welling to help them obtain a permit. Jordan had announced at London donors conference, its intention to provide 200,000 jobs to Syrian refugees, and employ 50,000 of them by end of the year. However, the number of Syrian refugees with work permits to date has not exceeded 322,000, while studies by the Economic and Social Council confirm that the number of unregistered Syrians workers in the labour market exceeds 1,500.
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