Syrian refugee count progressing according to schedule — official

AMMAN — The re-registration of Syrian refugees and residents in Jordan is ongoing with almost 2,000 refugees registered every day, a top official said on Wednesday.

Major General Waddah Hmoud, head of the Syrian Refugees Affairs Directorate, said that since the start of the re-registration process, 296,751 Syrians have registered.

Hmoud explained that the re-registration of Syrian refugees in the camps has been completed and the process is ongoing for those residing outside the camps.

He told The Jordan Times that of the total Syrians re-registered until Tuesday, 109,500 reside outside the camps, noting that the process will include all Syrians in Jordan.

The process, which was launched in mid-February, excludes Syrians holding diplomatic and UN passports, and women of Syrian origin who are married to Jordanians and have acquired Jordanian nationality.

Through the new process, each member of families residing outside refugee camps will be issued a new identification card by the Interior Ministry. 

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said Syrians are treated like other nationalities residing in the Kingdom, thus, they need to undergo medical check-ups for certain diseases to get a residency permit.

The cost of the required medical check-ups stands at JD30, according to Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azruie.

Sources told The Jordan Times, however, some international agencies have addressed the Prime Ministry to exempt Syrians from these fees.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government cannot afford exempting Syrians from this cost and the international community should pay for the tests.

Commenting on this, Azruie explained that the fees paid by a person to do the required tests do not even cover the cost of the lab materials and kits used for these tests that include HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. 

According to government figures, there are 1.4 million Syrians in the Kingdom, with almost half of them registered with UNHCR as refugees.