Workshop report: Migrant workers and the risk of trafficking and exploitation in Jordan, Amman, 20-21 April 2016
On April 21 and 22 2016, Tamkeen, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (“UNODC”) and the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (“BHRRC”) organized a workshop in Amman, Jordan on “Migrant Workers and the Risk of Exploitation and Trafficking in Jordan”. The workshop aimed to provide a forum for experts and stakeholders’ representatives to discuss the national and international context of migrant workers and refugees in Jordan, including workers in the garment, agricultural and construction sectors. The gathering was also designed to explore ways through which relevant civil society organizations (CSOs), government and business can work together to reduce exploitation.
Over 30 individuals participated in the workshop, representing Jordanian civil society working on the rights of migrant workers through legal aid, advocacy and legal and institutional reform; and government representatives, in particular from the Human Rights Bureau at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor and the Counter-Trafficking Unit. Other participants included representatives of trade unions, reporters specialized in migrant workers stories and representatives of international organizations (Ford Foundation, ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR) and foreign embassies (Egypt, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and USA).