Jordan has begun issuing the region’s first non-employer and non-position-specific work permits to Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the Jordan Times reported Wednesday (August 9th).
The General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU) has been issuing the temporary permits for a minimal fee directly to refugees working in Jordan’s construction sector.
Non-nationals are eligible to work in the construction sector under Jordan’s Labour Law.
Previously, such permits were tied to specific employers, who applied on behalf of workers for specific positions.
Permit applicants also must purchase insurance policies for 50 Jordanian dinars ($70), instead of the previously required and more costly social security subscriptions.
The development follows the signing in June of an agreement between the trade unions and the Ministry of Labour, which allows the GFJTU to issue 10,000 renewable one-year permits annually.
