Labour Ministry says it dealt with 507 cases of child labour in 2023

AMMAN — A total of 507 cases of child labour were uncovered in 2023, when the Ministry of Labour’s inspection teams took action against violators.

They issued 242 violations and 259 warnings for employing children in violation of the law, according to a ministry statement released on Wednesday.

The ministry’s Spokesperson Mohammed Zyoud said that 126 complaints and reports related to child labour were handled last year.

Complaints regarding child labour “labour rights” were received through the Himayeh (“protection” in English) platform at https://hemayeh.jo/, Zyoud said, noting that reports on child labour cases can also be accepted through the following link: https://childlabor.mol.gov.jo/.

Zyoud also stressed the ministry’s commitment to increase inspection campaigns and visits to private sector establishments in various sectors and economic activities to ensure compliance with child labour laws.

Awareness-raising activities will also be carried out among communities and parents in schools on the risks of child labour, he added.

Regarding institutional child care and its alternatives, Zyoud said that inspection teams visited 1,419 establishments in various economic sectors and activities last year to ensure compliance with law, noting that inspection teams issued 62 warnings and 7 violations in this regard.

As per Article 72 of the Labour Law, employers with fifteen or more children under the age of five shall provide appropriate child care facilities staffed by qualified caregivers.