Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
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between registration and interview for Iraqi asylum seekers was estimated to be up to six
weeks.165
The procedure for registration as asylum seekers and status determination for other groups
takes much longer. Reports suggest that even getting an asylum seeker registration card can
take weeks in some cases. After the interview is completed, refugees may still wait up to two
months to receive a decision on their asylum claim.166
As is the case in other areas, freedom of movement depends largely on an individual’s
nationality and period of arrival, as well as location of residence in Jordan. Jordanian
authorities have not placed any restrictions on movement within the country on non-Syrian
refugees. Syrians in camps, however, must obtain permission before traveling outside the
camp, although this policy has recently been loosened slightly. Reports suggest that the
government has dropped a requirement at Zaatari camp for Syrians to have a Jordanian
guarantor over the age of 35 (known as the “bail out” process).167 Syrian refugees in urban
areas are able to move freely throughout the country, although their residency is restricted to
the district in which they are registered with the Ministry of the Interior.168 Refugees who
move to other districts may thus have difficulty accessing services, although the extent to
which residency requirements are enforced appears to vary at the local authority level.169
Durable solutions
Jordan has maintained a policy of non-integration for most forced migrants, with the notable
exception of Palestinians who arrived in 1948. Jordan’s MoU with UNHCR stipulates that
refugees’ stay in Jordan will be temporary, and identification cards provided to recognized
refugees are valid for just one year.170
Permanent residency is not generally possible for foreign nationals in Jordan, and non-
Palestinian forced migrants in Jordan have very little chance to gain citizenship. According to
the 1954 Nationality Law,171 non-Jordanian Arabs who have been living in Jordan for at least
15 years may naturalize if they renounce their previous citizenship and demonstrate good
conduct and a lawful means of livelihood. Naturalization must be approved by the Council of
Ministers, although the King may also grant nationality. Non-Jordanian women may apply for
citizenship after five years of marriage (or three years for Arabs).
The MoU also commits UNHCR to identify other durable solutions for refugees, specifically
return or resettlement. Yet resettlement numbers remain low relative to the number of forced
migrants hosted in Jordan. In 2014, UNHCR submitted 7,284 persons for resettlement, and
only 3,319 actually departed during the year.172 The majority of those submitted for
resettlement were Syrian (6,084) and Iraqi (1,078). While resettlement commitments for
165 Alice Su, “Jordan’s Other Refugees,”
166 Su, “Jordan’s Other Refugees”
167 ARDD-Legal Aid. The practice may still be ongoing at Azraq camp. UNHCR, Summary Minutes of Camp Coordination
Meeting: Azraq Refugee Camp, 2016.
168 Norwegian Refugee Council, No Place to Call Home: How Syria’s Displaced Millions Struggle to Keep a Roof Over Their
Heads, (Norwegian Refugee Council: Oslo, 2015),
169 Communication from ARDD-Legal Aid, May 2016
170 Previously, identification cards had to be renewed every 6 months. But an amendment to UNHCR’s MoU in 2014
extended the validity of the cards to one year. Khetam Malkawi, “Gov’t, UNHCR sign amendments to cooperation memo,”
updated March 31, 2014,
171 Law No. 6 of 1954 on Nationality, Kingdom of Jordan, amended 1987
172 UNHCR, UNHCR Global Resettlement Statistical Report 2014, (Geneva: UNHCR, 2015),
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