'Made to work like machines': Migrant workers speak out on abuse, exploitation, and oppression in Jordan's textiles industry
Every morning, Sona starts her routine at 6 am with breakfast and a cup of tea, which she shares with a colleague who lives with her in Ad-Dulayl, northern Jordan…
When they reach the factory gates at the Ad-Dulayl Industrial Park, Sona pauses to check in before entering.
Her shift runs from 8 am to 4 pm with just a 15-minute break, making each day gruelling as the women spend hours at their sewing machines under intense pressure and constant supervision…
According to the 2023 report, Conditions of Migrant Workers in Qualified Industrial Zones, published by the organisation Tamkeen, around 58,000 migrant workers are employed in 63 companies within Jordan's Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs), which were set up in the early 2000s to strengthen trade ties with Israel, with support from the United States.
In Jordan's labour market in 2024, Bangladeshi workers ranked first at 12.8 percent, followed by Ethiopian workers (9.5 percent), Indian workers (5.4 percent), Filipino workers (4.1 percent), and Sri Lankan workers (3.4 percent).
But, most shocking of all, Tamkeen’s 2024 report documented approximately 153 complaints filed by migrant workers, including cases of wage withholding, passport confiscation, denial of leave, violence, and extortion…