(Eqtsad) After a long wait, Syrians in Jordan welcomed the news that they are exempted from paying the work permit fees with the hope it will improve their economic situation. Obtaining a work permit usually costs almost 350 Jordanian Dinar which equals 495 US Dollars and with the exemption the sum goes down to 15 US Dollars. The second extension to exempt Syrians from work permit fees was issued recently and continues until the end of 2016.
The Jordanian government represented by the Ministry of Labor issued the decision to exempt workers of Syrian nationality from the work permit fees, and any additional fees that arise from stamps required for the permit.
The exemption covers work permit fees, and any additional fees for the work permit based on the decision of article 6 of law number 67, the work permit law for non-Jordanian citizens of 2014.
The decision comes as part of processes to correct the legal situation of Syrian refugees in the kingdom. Work in the exemption began in the labor directorates for the first time in 6 April 2015, and continued for three months from that date and the exemption included previous years of labor. Then the first extension of the exemption of employers hiring Syrian laborers came into effect starting from 03/07/2016.
Syrian laborers in Jordan feared that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees would cut off assistance to them if they obtained the work permits, but no such thing has happened. As such, Syrian laborers ensure their work is legal and avoid not complying with Jordanian law without losing UNHCR’s assistance.
To calm refugees UNHCR sent a text message to Syrian refugees, “the refugees registered with the Commission maintain their qualification as refugees regardless of their work status, and it does not affect the process of resettlement. Employers must present a work permit application for Syrian workers to the Labor directorates as soon as possible.”
In a statement to Eqtsad, UNHCR spokesperson Mohamad al-Hawari reassured Syrian refugees in Jordan that there is not link between issuing the work permits and cutting off assistance.
Eqtsad also met with the Jordanian Ministry of Labor spokesperson, Mohammad al-Khatib who expressed the importance of Syrian laborers obtaining work permits to maintain their rights in wages, social security, health insurance and their protection. He confirmed that issuing the work permits will not affect the assistance provided to them by UNHCR.
Regarding the number of work permits that have been issued to Syrian labor, al-Khatib answered that it is a little less than 29,000 permits, and the number will increase. He added that applicants do not have to come to the ministry of labor but the issue is handled through labor offices distributed throughout Jordan.
Abu al-Nour, a Syrian businessman who owns an industrial establishment, saw that extending the exemption is a good move and gives laborers the opportunity to legalize their work, and protects his institution from violations.
He indicated however that the work permit requires that employees in any establishment must be divided equally between Jordanian and Syrian nationals. He explained that this is not always possible as there are some jobs that only Syrian workers can do, and the issue of percentage must be looked into as the issue of type of profession.
Abu al-Nour added that the second exemption for Syrians from the work permit fees gives the chance to all Syrian laborers to save the fees in light of the difficult economic situation.
Tarik al-Saeed, a Syrian refugee in Jordan, confirmed to Eqtsad that the decision is one of the most important decisions made by the Jordanian government to improve the economic situation of Syrian refugees. Syrians in any country they have taken refuge in only want the chance to have a job that enables him to life a dignified life, provide for his needs, and assistance is intermittent and becoming less over time although it is insufficient to live off anyway.
Al-Saeed, who works in a glass cutting shop, indicated that he always worked in fear because he did not have a work permit, and at the same time he was unable to pay for the permit from his low wage which comes to 500 US Dollars. Now with the permit fees coming to 15 US Dollars he was able to gain the work permit and work securely and legally.
The Occupations Closed before Foreign Laborers
The Jordanian Ministry of Labor confirmed that there are 19 professions that are exclusive to Jordanians such as medicine or engineering and foreign nationals cannot be employed in these professions to ensure Jordanians’ share of work. There are 7 professions that foreign nationals are allowed to work in, in the event a Jordanian alternative is unavailable.
Despite this according to the Ministry of Labor’s estimates, the number of laborers working without permits is somewhere between 160-200 thousand laborers.
Most of the Syrian laborers are concentrated in the sectors of construction, trade retail or wholesale, restaurants, service sector, agricultural sector especially in northern provinces and Amman.
The Ministry of Labor estimated that the average economic activity among Syrians is 28%, around 217,952 Syrian laborers, while the number of Syrians present in Jordan, officially or unofficially, is around 85000. It is estimated that around 132,950 Syrians present in Jordan are unemployed.
Syrian refugees form around 15% of the total population of Jordan.
They are distributed in all provinces, where 27% live in the capital 22% in Irbid province, 13% in al-Zaatari camp, and 12% in al-Mafariq province.
The documents required for Syrians to obtain work permits;
1- The trade record of the work establishment
2- A professional license issued by the municipality
3- The new magnetized card
4- A photocopy of the employer’s identity card
5- A passport if available
6- Social security statement
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