Work Permits and Employment of Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Towards Formalising the Work of Syrian Refugees

In 2015, the ILO, in partnership with the Oslo-based FAFO Institute for Applied International Studies, carried out an assessment on the impact of the Syrian refugee influx on the Jordanian labour market. The assessment provided a better understanding of the employment profile of Syrian refugees in Jordan.

At the time of the assessment, Syrian refugees in general did not have the legal right to work in Jordan, however, 10 per cent of those who worked were able to obtain a work permit for various exceptional reasons. The rest of the Syrian refugee workforce was working in an expanding informal economy, characterised by low and declining wages, long work days, and poor working conditions, including lack of work contracts. This was not only unfavourable for Syrian workers, but also for Jordanian workers who suffered from pre-existing decent work deficits that were further exacerbated by increased competition for jobs with Syrian refugees in an unregulated market.

In line with pledges made at the London Conference, a new trade agreement between Jordan and the EU was signed, which allows for a relaxation of the rules of origin. Jordanian companies are required to hire Syrians and ensure that they make up 15 per cent of the total workforce of each factory to benefit from new terms of trade under this agreement. At the same time, companies must comply with pre-existing national regulations aimed at the “Jordanisation” of the workforce, which include having sectors and occupations closed to non-Jordanians, having sector-specific quotas for Jordanian workers, and in some sectors, issuing the maximum number of work permits per company...To help deliver on its commitments to generate more jobs for Jordanians and Syrian refugees, the government of Jordan has amended work permit procedures and regulations and has agreed to issue permits for Syrian refugees free of charge for a set time period. As a result of these and other measures, between December 2015 and December 2016, the number of Syrians with work permits grew from approximately 4,000 to 40,000