Towards a unified Jordanian approach to hiring Syrian workers during the refugee crisis

The ILO, in collaboration with Jordan’s Ministry of Labour, will hold a 2-day workshop to discuss the development of a unified mechanism to hire Syrian workers under the government’s national response plan to the refugee crisis.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing the project “Employment through Labour Intensive Infrastructure in Jordan” to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan, with the aim of creating job opportunities for Jordanians and Syrians in host communities. The ILO has worked closely with the Ministry of Labour in Jordan to review labour laws and regulations in order to facilitate access for Syrian refugees to work permits, decent job opportunities and formal employment.

However, the various new laws and regulations led to inconsistent interpretation of these regulations when implemented through labour directorates. Therefore, the workshop will allow Ministry of Labour officials to develop a unified and accessible working mechanism for the recipients of employment services.

Specifically, the workshop will aim to:
  • Develop a unified mechanism to enable Ministry of Labour offices to issue work permits for Syrian refugee workers.
  • Discuss the topic of closed professions for Syrian labour.
  • Discuss development of mechanisms that will allow the Jordanian labour market to benefit from skills of Syrian refugees.
  • Develop a flexible inspection mechanism for Syrian workers.
  • Discuss procedures for issuing work permits for refugees working in the construction and agriculture sectors across various locations.
  • Discuss difficulties facing international organizations when applying for work permits for Syrian refugees and ways to overcome them.
A committee has been formed by the Ministry of Labour and the ILO to manage the workshop, organize the programme, review the presentations and follow up with the recommendations of the workshop.