The American University in Cairo Center for Migration and Refugee Studies Database
Home
Legal Instruments
Statistics and Figures
Bibliography
 
    Jordan

  Legal Instruments   

This section provides a list of international conventions and regional/bilateral agreements to which each country is a signatory, as well as national legislation that deals with movement, migration, asylum and human rights. Each listing includes a PDF/ link to a publically accessible document of the convention/law mentioned.
  International Conventions:

General International Law

Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 24 April 1963 (entered into force 19 March 1967) 596 U.N.T.S 261. Ratified 1973
PDF

 

International Criminal Law

Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 2 December 1949 (entered into force 25 July 1951) 96 U.N.T.S. 271. Signed 1976

PDF

 

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 10 December 1984 (entered into force 26 June 1987) 1465 U.N.T.S. 85 [CAT]. Ratified 1991 PDF

 

Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000 (entered into force 15 December 2000) 2237 U.N.T.S 319 [Palermo Protocol] Ratified 2009

PDF

 

United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000 (entered into force 29 September 2003) 2225 U.N.T.S 209. Signed 2002, Ratified 2009

PDF

 

Slavery Convention, 25 September 1926 (entered into force 7 July 1955), 60 L.N.T.S. 253. Ratified 1959

PDF

 

International Human Rights Law 

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 18 December 1979, 1249 U.N.T.S 513 [CEDAW]. Signed 1980, Ratified 1992
PDF 

 

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 7 March 1966, 660 U.N.T.S 195 [CERD]. Ratified 1974  
PDF

 

Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, 1577 U.N.T.S. 3 [CRC]. Signed 1990, Ratified 1991  
PDF

 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 16 December 1966, 999 U.N.T.S. 171 [ICCPR]. Signed 1972, Ratified 1975
PDF

 

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 16 December 1966 (entered into force 3 Jan 1976) 993 U.N.T.S. 3 [ICESCR]. Signed 1972, Ratified 1975
PDF

 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/217 A (III), 10 December 1948, Art 14. [UDHR].

PDF

 

International Humanitarian Law/Law of War

Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field, 12 August 1949 (entered into force 21 October 1950) 75 U.N.T.S. 31 [First Geneva Convention]. Ratified 1951

Link to Conv.

 

Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, 12 August 1949 (entered into force 21 October 1950) 75 U.N.T.S. 85 [Second Geneva Convention].

Ratified 1951

Link to Conv.

 

Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 12 August 1949 (entered into force 21 October 1950) 75 U.N.T.S. 135 [Third Geneva Convention].

Ratified 1951

Link to Conv.

Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 12 August 1949 (entered into force 21 October 1950) 75 U.N.T.S. 287 [Fourth Geneva Convention].

Ratified 1951

Link to Conv.

 

Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, 8 June 1977 (entered into force Dec. 7, 1978.) 1125 U.N.T.S. 3 [Protocol I]. Signed 1977, Ratified 1979

Link to Protocol.

 

Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts, 8 June 1977 (entered into force 7 December 1978) 1125 U.N.T.S. 609 [Protocol II].

Signed 1977, Ratified 1979 Link to Protocol

 

International Labor Law

ILO Convention C 111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention (1958). Ratified 1963

Link to Conv.

 

ILO Convention C 29 Forced or Compulsory Labour Convention (1932). Ratified 1966 Link to Conv.

 

ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration (2005).

Link to Framework

 

International Trade Law

Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) (Movement of Natural Persons), 16 October, 1995 (entered into force 26 July 1996), L167, P. 43 [Protocol III]

PDF


 

 
  Regional and Bilateral Agreements:

Regional Agreements

Arab Labor Convention No. 16 on Labor Social Services  (1983) Link to Agreement

The Statute of the Organization for the Development of Women in the OIC Member States

PDF

Irregular Migration & Readmission Agreements 
None currently listed 


Labor Agreements 

Agreement on the Recognition of the Training and Patents of Seafarers for Work on Board Ships Registered in Jordan (2015)
Link to Agreement_Bg

Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Organization of the Migration of Egyptian Laborers to work in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (2007).
PDF_English

Memorandum of Understanding on Labor cooperation between Qatar and Jordan (2011) Link to Agreement_Arabic

Social 
Security Agreements 

Protocol on the social security of students between France and Jordan (1978)
Link to Official Journal

 

Other Relevant Agreements

Convention on legal and judicial co-operation between the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of Yemen and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (1989)
 
  National Legislation:

Nationality Laws

Law No. 6 of 1954 on Jordanian nationality 
PDF_Ar

Law No. 2 of 1969 on Jordanian passports and its amendments 
PDF_Ar

Law No. 9 of 2001 on personal status
PDF_Ar

Regulation No. 3 of 1997 on visas
PDF_Ar

Regulation No. 95 of 1998 on setting a residence
PDF_Ar

Regulation of 2004 on setting passport fees
PDF_Ar

Regulation No. 70 of 2003 on passport fees and its amendments 
PDF_Ar

 

Migration and Labor 

Law No. 24 of 1973 governs foreign nationals entry and stay in Jordan. The status of foreign nationals in Jordan varies greatly according to, inter alia, activity, place of work, national origin
PDF_Ar
PDF_AR

Directive amending Regulations No. 36 of 1997 prescribing fees to be paid by employers for the issue or renewal of the work permits of their employees the Work Permit Regulations for non-Jordanian Workers

Directive No. 90 of 2000 on entry visa, work and residence in Aqaba 
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 4 of 2003 on agriculture workers
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 90 of 2009 on domestic workers, cooks, gardeners and the like
PDF_Ar

Directive of 2012 on rules and procedures for employing non-Jordanians
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 157 of 2014 on rules and procedures on non-Jordanian house workers 
PDF_AR

Directive No. 11 of 2013 amending Regulation No. 11 of 2009 indicates that “The total actual hours of domestic work shall be eight hours per day, excluding idle time and rest or meal breaks"

Directive No. 67 of 2014 on the Non-Jordanian work permit and its amendments
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 12 of 2015 regulates the organization of Private Recruitment Agencies for the Recruitment of Non-Jordanian Domestic Workers
PDF_Ar
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 13 of 2015 on rules and procedures concerning recruitment agencies involved in recruiting house workers
PDF_Ar 
PDF_Ar

Directive of 2015 on verifying insurance for house workers 
PDF_Ar

Amended Directives on verifying insurance for house workers 
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 80 of 2016 on residence, work, and workers in development zones and free economic zones
PDF_Ar

Directive No. 77 of 2016 on investments of Non-Jordanians in Jordan
PDF_Ar

Decision of 2016 on the list of professions that are prohibited to be practiced by non-Jordanians 
PDF_Ar

2001 instructions on issuing a driver's license for non-Jordanians
PDF_Ar

 

Asylum laws

Article 21(1) of the Jordanian Constitution prohibits the extradition of political refugees
PDF_Ar

 

Smuggling and Trafficking 

Law No. 9 of 2009 on human trafficking 
PDF_Ar

Law No. 55 of 2006 on anti terrorism
PDF_Ar

  Statistics and Figures:   

This section provides links to regularly updated sites that provide statistics on migrants and refugees in different countries around the world.

Below are links to various databases that provide statistics and figures relevant to the movement of people in and out of Jordan:  

 

UNHCR Statistics Database
UNHCR-Stats

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
IDMC-Jordan

  Bibliography   

This section includes a comprehensive list of sources and links to journal articles, books, webpages, etc. for each country in the database that address migration and refugee topics within the context of education, health, legal, psychosocial, political, among others. Each listed source includes a brief description of the material and a link.

  Migrants:

Link to Researchers

 Arar, Rawan Mazen. “How Political Migrants’ Networks Differ from Those of Economic Migrants: ‘Strategic Anonymity’ among Iraqi Refugees in Jordan.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 42.3 (2016): 519-535. Link to Article

Keyword: political, migrants, networks, economic, migrants, Jordan, Iraqi 

Based on 30 interviews with Iraqi refugees in Jordan between 2009-2010 who fled in the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq war, this article argues that the utility of social networks is influenced by the reason for displacement and regional geopolitical frameworks. The author observes that, like economic migrants, political migrants believe that they would benefit from social network, however, some political migrants must exercise caution in the face of potentially harmful new relationships in receiving countries. 

Abimourched, Rola. “No Shelter Migrant Domestics in Jordan.” Middle East Report 253 (2009): 43-46. Link to Article

Keyword: domestic, migrant, workers, women, Jordan 

This report discusses the dire situation of female migrant workers in Jordan, human rights abuses, and the failure of the Jordanian legal reforms at improving the living condition for migrant workers in Jordan. 

Brand, Laurie A. "National Narratives and Migration: Discursive Strategies of Inclusion and Exclusion in Jordan and Lebanon." International Migration Review 44.1 (2010): 78:-110. Link to Article

Keyword: national, narrative, migration, inclusion, exclusion, Jordan, Lebanon, history

This article sets forth propositions to include refugees in official national narratives: the relationship of migrants and colonial and post-colonial states, migration and the sending country's economic development, and migrants the the home-state elite. The article, thus,examines the Jordanian school texts book to determine which proposition fits in their official state narrative of migrants.

Frantz, Elizabeth. “Jordan’s Unfree Workforce: State-Sponsored Bonded Labour in the Arab Region.” Journal of Development Studies 49.8 (2013): 1072-1087. Link to Article

Keyword: Jordan, workforce, migrant, workers, bonded, labor, Arab region

This article describes the sponsorship system employed in Jordan, Lebanon and the GCC countries arguing that it is a form of bonded labor. The author further argues that states play a role in facilitating and enforcing it, which makes is distinct from other forms of un-free bonded labor that has been outlawed by states and exists in extra legal zones, outside of government's oversight. 

Ireland, Patrick R. “Female Migrant Domestic Workers in Southern Europe and the Levant: Towards an Expanded Mediterranean Model?” Mediterranean Politics 16.3 (2011): 343-363. (Summary adapted from resource) Link to Article

Keyword: female, domestic, workers, South, Europe, Levant 

This paper examines the global and structural forces that facilitates the movement of female migrant domestic workers in Southern Europe and the Levant. 

Koprulu, Nur. “State, Economy, and Palestinian Migrants in Jordan.” International Journal of Business and Globalization 8.4 (2012): 520-529. Link to Article

Keyword: Palestinian migrants, Jordanians, State policies, rentier economy, political-economic cleavage, Jordan  

This paper explores the implications of state policies and regulations, and regional factors shaping and restricting the inclusion and career opportunities of skilled Palestinian migrant residents in Jordan since 1948.  

Iaria, Vanessa. “Post-Return Transnationalism and the Iraqi Displacement in Syria and Jordan.” International Migration 52.6 (2014): 43-56. Link to Article

Keyword: transnationalism, Iraqi, Displacement, Syria, Jordan, post-return 

Based on field observations and interviews with Iraqi returnees, this article explores the link between return and transnationalism in the case of post-2003 Iraqi's displacement in Syria and Jordan. The author argues that that transnational mobility and livelihood constitute a precondition for refugees' return demonstrating that return is not a one-way physical movement that guarantees permanent integration, but involves complex process. 

 

  Refugees:

Ahmad, Ikhlas, Judith G. Smetana, and Theo Klimstra. “Maternal Monitoring, Adolescent Disclosure, And Adolescent Adjustment Among Palestinian Refugee Youth in Jordan.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 3 (2015): 403-409. (Summary adapted from resource) Link to Article

Keyword: maternal, monitoring, adolescents, Palestinian, youth, Jordan 

This article examines the role of parenting and child driven process in parenting knowledge of adolescents' activities, norm-breaking and anxiety among Palestinian youth living in refugee camps in Jordan. The study finds greater adolescent disclosure and less secrecy about activities among the youth, but also more material control were associated with greater maternal knowledge; greater secrecy is associated with greater norm-breaking and generalized anxiety, but parental control and parental solicitation were not. 

Achilli, Luigi. “Disengagement from Politics: Nationalism, Political Identity, and the Everyday in a Palestinian Refugee Camp in Jordan.” Critique of Anthropology 34.2 (2014): 234-257. Link to Article

Keyword: politics, nationalism, identity, Palestinian, refugee, camp, Jordan

This article poses the question of whether refugees' disengagement from politics is a clear sign of their passive assimilation or a form of political protest placing the case of Palestinians case in Jordan within this context shedding light on the complexities associated with refugees' socio-economic and political integration in Jordan. 

Al-Modallal, Hanan, Abu Zayed, Ishtaiwi, Abujiban, Sanaa, Shehab, Tariq and Maysoun Atoum. “Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among Women Visiting Health Care Centers in Palestine Refugee Camps in Jordan.” Health Care for Women International 36.2 (2015): 137-148. (Summary adapted from resource) Link to Article  

Keyword: partner, violence, women, health, care, Palestinian, refugee, camp, Jordan

This study investigates the prevalence of violence perpetuated by intimate partners among Palestinian women living in refugee camps in Jordan. The study finds that participants experienced physical, emotional, sexual and economic violence by their parters. Women experience or more than one of these abuses. Men and women had different attitude to the violence, which the study finds is a contributing factors to the occurrence of the phenomenon. 

Al-Qdah, Talal and Lacroix Marie. “Iraqi Refugees in Jordan: Lessons for Practice with Refugees Globally.” International Social Work 54.5 (2011): 521-534. Link to Article

Keyword: Iraqi, refugee, Jordan, lessons, Participatory Rapid Appraisal, host community 

Utilizing the case of Jordan, this article argues that using the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) is an effective model of assessing the needs of refugees and that of the host communities. 

Achilli, Luigi. “Becoming a Man in Al-Wihdat: Masculine Performances in a Palestinian Refugee Camp in Jordan.” International Journal of Middle East Studies 47.2 (2015): 263-280. (Summary adapted from resource) Link to PDF

Keyword: masculine, Palestinian, refugee, camp, Jordan, men

This article examines the interplay between masculinity and nationalism among Palestinians living in a refugee camp in Jordan. The author argues that young Palestinian men's ability to navigate different registers of manhood allows them to reproduce a Palestinian national identity in exile while achieving socioeconomic integration in Jordan. As such, the article challenges stereotypes about Palestinians refuges in Jordan and problematize the discursive mutual dependency between nationalism and hegemonic masculinity. 

Arar, Rawan Mazen. “How Political Migrants’ Networks Differ from Those of Economic Migrants: ‘Strategic Anonymity’ among Iraqi Refugees in Jordan.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 42.3 (2016): 519-535. Link to Article

Keyword: political, migrants, networks, economic, migrants, Jordan, Iraqi 

Based on 30 interviews with Iraqi refugees in Jordan between 2009-2010 who fled in the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq war, this article argues that the utility of social networks is influenced by the reason for displacement and regional geopolitical frameworks. The author observes that, like economic migrants, political migrants believe that they would benefit from social network, however, some political migrants must exercise caution in the face of potentially harmful new relationships in receiving countries.  

Bjawi-Levine, Laure. “Paying the Price of War: Narratives of Trauma of Iraqi Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Jordan.”  Anthropology of the Middle East 4.2 (2009): 75-84. Link to Article

Keyword: trauma, Iraqi, asylum seekers, refugees, Jordan, guests

This article articulates the trauma and socioeconomic conditions of Iraqi refugees residing in Jordan as largely influenced by their status as "guest" that denies them work permits. 

Collect, Bruce, and Hyeyoung Bang. “The Securitisation of Refugees Flows and the Schooling of Refugees: Examining the Cases of North Koreans in South Korea and Iraqis in Jordan.” Journal of Comparative and International Education 46.2 (2016): 272-292. Link to Article

Keyword: securitization, securitisation, refugees, flows, North Koreans, South Korea, Iraqis, Jordan 

Drawing from data collected in the US, South Korea, and Jordan, this study examines how security concerns impact the study of north Korean refugees in South Korea and Iraqi refugees in Jordan. The author finds that there is economic securitizationin both South Korea and Jordan hindering refugees integration. 

Dubbaneh, Daniel. “Jordan and the Refugee Crisis: Missteps and Missed Opportunities.” International Policy Digest 3.3 (2016): 73-75. Link to Article

Keyword: Jordan, refugees, crisis, opportunities  

This article addresses the worsening conditions for refugees in Jordan, the need for a long-term solution, the border and security concerns surrounding refugees and offers propositions on addressing the crisis.

Fakih, Ali, Ibrahim, May. “The Impact of Syrian Refugees on the Labor Market in Neighboring Countries: Empirical Evidence from Jordan.”Defense and Peace Economics 27.1 (2016): 64-86. Link to Article

Keyword: Syrian, refugees, labor, market, Jordan, impact, economic, development 

This paper analyzes the implications of the refugee crisis on Jordan's labor market since 2011 using the Vector Autoregression model to examine a series of data on unemployment rate, employment rate, labor force participation, refugee economic activities. The result of the analysis show no correlation between the labor market and the refugee influx.  

Riach, George and Zoe James. “Strengthening the Rule of Law on the Margins: Experiences from Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan.”International Journal of Human Rights 20.4 (2016): 549-566. Link to Article

Keyword: law, Za'atari, refugee, camp, Jordan 

This article examines legal pluralism and legal empowerment within the context of Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan. In the absence of a formal legal process, the authors argue, that Syrian refugees found alternative avenues to pursue civil, religious and criminal claims. 


  Statelessness: