'Gov't to ensure working Jordanians not affected by Syrians' entry into labour market'

AMMAN – The government is working to regulate the labour market to absorb Syrian workers without affecting Jordanians working in various sectors, officials said Tuesday.

At a meeting at the Interior Ministry to discuss government procedures regarding Syrian refugees, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said Syrian refugees will be given three months to rectify their status in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Also speaking at the meeting, Labour Ministry Secretary General Hamadah Abu Nijmeh said the ministry is working on organising the labour market to receive Syrians using certain measures and it will communicate with employers on this issue.

For his part, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury stressed the need to set the required framework to regulate the status of the Syrian workforce in Jordan in accordance with the Kingdom's commitments in this regard.

Stressing that Jordan deals with issues related to Syrian refugees in a comprehensive, coordinated manner, Hammad noted that the Kingdom continues to do what it can for the refugees. 

He highlighted the crisis' effect on natural resources, infrastructure, and the health and education sectors, commending the UNHCR's support for the Kingdom in dealing with these repercussions, Petra reported.

UNHCR Representative to Jordan Andrew Harper commended Jordan's efforts to host refugees despite the challenges it faces, stressing the agency's strategic relationship with the Kingdom.

The meeting came to discuss the outcomes of the London donor conference held in February, which included the Jordan Compact. The document lists the commitments of the international community, international financial institutions and multilateral development banks to assisting the Kingdom.

The compact is aimed at turning the challenge of the refugee problem into development gains that would benefit Jordanians and Syrians.

According to the 2015 census, around 1.3 million of the Kingdom's 9.5 million population are Syrians.