Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation visits ILO employment centre in refugee camp

The Minister met with Syrian job-seekers benefiting from the centre’s services.

Article | 10 September 2019
 
Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan (ILO News) Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation Rasmus Prehn visited the Zaatari Office for Employment on Monday (September 9) and met with Syrian refugee job-seekers who are being supported by the centre through a number of services, including work permit issuance and job matching services.

The centre, which is supported by the ILO in collaboration with UNHCR, was set up in Zaatari refugee camp in 2017 to help Syrian refugees residing in the camp find formal work opportunities in host communities.

“I was really pleased to see the job centre and it is really nice to see that the refugees have a chance to get a job and be able to feed their own families, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Minister Prehn.

Over 1,000 job-seekers have found jobs in various sectors outside of the camp and more than 11,000 workers have obtained work permits through the centre. The Zaatari centre is part of series of Employment Service Centres (ESCs) set up across Jordan by the ILO in partnership with the Ministry of Labour to facilitate career guidance and job matching services for both Jordanians and Syrian refugees. 

“At the Zaatari Office for Employment, we offer Syrian refugees a number of services in partnership with other UN agencies and the Government of Jordan,” said Thair Shraideh, Coordinator of ILO Programme of Support to the Jordan Response Plan “Through these centres, we help Syrian refugees with work permit issuance and with employment opportunities in order to help improve their living conditions.”

The Minister also visited other services and facilities provided to refugees at Zaatari refugee camp, including the camp’s main bazaar area, solar power plant and health facilities.