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Jordan opens job center in Syrian refugee camp

August 23, 2017
Syrians walk carrying their belongings after crossing the Syria-Jordan border near the town of Nasib as they return to their homes following a US-Russia ceasefire brokered in three southern provinces, Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida earlier in the year. — AFP
Syrians walk carrying their belongings after crossing the Syria-Jordan border near the town of Nasib as they return to their homes following a US-Russia ceasefire brokered in three southern provinces, Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida earlier in the year. — AFP

By Lin Taylor

LONDON — Jordan has opened its first job center inside a refugee camp, unlocking work opportunities across the country for thousands living in the world's largest Syrian refugee camp, the United Nations labor agency said on Tuesday.

So far, more than 800 refugees in Zaatari camp in Jordan, which borders Syria and is home to nearly 80,000 people, have registered for work permits at the job centre, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said.

"Refugee workers now have a clear address to resort to when searching for jobs and applying for work permits, where they can receive all necessary information and benefit from expert support," said Maha Kattaa, ILO response coordinator in Jordan, said in a statement.

The Jordanian government says the country is home to 1.4 million Syrians, of whom more than 660,000 are registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Allowing refugees to work in host countries relieves pressure on social services, boosts the local economy, and gives refugees the financial security to reestablish their lives, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said, which manages work permits and the flows in and out of Zaatari camp.

"I am confident that having an increased number of Syrians entering the labour market will positively impact the local economy and bring stability to refugee families," said Stefano Severe, a UNHCR spokesman in Jordan.

Earlier this month Jordan became the first Arab country to issue Syrian refugees with a new type of work permit that opens up the growing construction sector.

The centre, launched by the Jordanian government, will run job fairs and employment matching services with businesses across the country.

There are also plans to open a second centre in a nearby camp in Azraq, ILO said. — Thomson Reuters Foundation


August 23, 2017
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