Labour Ministry shuts doors to 28 professions for foreign labourers

AMMAN — As part of its recent reform campaigns aimed at “gradually replacing expatriate workers with Jordanian talent”, the Ministry of Labour recently announced 28 professions in which it is prohibited to employ foreign workers, according to a statement.

In the second half of last year, the ministry started a campaign  aimed at “reforming and fixing work conditions”, and embarked on a crackdown on foreign workers without valid work permits.

The campaign was set to end in December of 2019, but was extended through January of this year. The ministry then reduced work permit fees for the agricultural and construction sectors before announcing its latest measure of shutting the door to 28 professions for migrant workers on Tuesday.

These professions include secretarial jobs, electrical maintenance and hair styling for both men and women, among many others.

According to Media Officer Ghaida Awamleh, the decision to prohibit foreign employment in these 28 professions was made in September of last year, while a digitisation and inspection campaign within these professions began at the beginning of this month.

“Within its policy to regulate the labour market, increase the employment rates among Jordanians and gradually replace expatriate workers with Jordanian talent, a number of measures have been adapted by the ministry, including the closure of about 28 professions for foreign workers,” the ministry stated.

The decision is accompanied by  inspection campaigns in governorates, particularly in markets, commercial stores and establishments that tend to employ non-compliant foreign workers, the ministry statement added.

Pairing field inspections with digital efforts to back the campaign, the official website of the ministry now offers a mechanism for reporting the presence of a migrant worker in violation of the law at any facility.

The ministry said that it will take legal measures against employers who employ workers in violation of the law. In the event that an expatriate worker is caught, he or she will be deported immediately.

The statement called on employers to adhere to the laws, regulations and instructions issued by the ministry regarding migrant workers.