Impact of work permits on decent work for Syrians in Jordan (September, 2021) [EN/AR]

Svein Erik Stave, Tewodros Aragie Kebede and Maha Kattaa

Executive Summary

Background

In 2016, the Government of Jordan, in partnership with the international community, committed to improving the living conditions, prospects and resilience of both Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities. Through these efforts, the Jordan Compact was born. The Compact is a commitment from the international community not only to support Jordan in providing a regional and global public good by hosting refugees as best as it can, but also to support Jordanian citizens and the economy as a whole. As part of the Compact, the international community agreed to make concessional trade and finance available to Jordan, on the condition that they formalise employment for 200,000 Syrian refugees. While decent work deficits remain a challenge in many of the sectors employing Syrian workers, work permits have provided a legal pathway for many to access and enjoy their rights.

Since the signing of the Jordan Compact, more than 230,000 work permits have been issued to Syrian refugees in Jordan. This report explores the impact of work permit regulations on decent work outcomes for Syrians in Jordan through analysing several data sets gathered by ILO and Fafo since 2014.