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Palestinian refugees with Jordanian citizenship have full access to the labor market. Ex-
Gazans, however, experience restrictions on their right to work. They are, for example, barred
from working in jobs on the closed professions list and are required to obtain work permits as
non-nationals, although they are not charged the standard fees.220 As a result, Gazans are three
times more likely than other Palestinians in Jordan to be among the destitute poor, living on
less than USD1.25 a day.221
Education
While Jordan maintains a relatively strong education policy framework that facilitates legal
access to schooling for most refugee groups, practical barriers, including costs, often prevent
refugee children from benefiting from these policies.
Education through the public school system is free in Jordan for Jordanian nationals, and 10
years of education are compulsory.222 Refugees in Jordan may access education either through
the mainstream school system or in schools run by UN agencies or international NGOs, for
those in Palestinian or Syrian refugee camps.
Non-nationals are charged an annual fee of USD 56 to attend primary school and USD 85 for
secondary school. For refugee families with few financial assets or sources of income, the fees
can pose a barrier to accessing education. The Jordanian government has taken steps to
address the issue of costs for some categories of refugees. The children of Iraqi refugees have
had free access since 2007,223 and Syrian children also benefit from free enrollment in public
schools. Costs associated with textbooks, uniforms, and other supplies can still pose a barrier
for refugee families, however.
220 In early January 2016 the government made an announcement which suggested that Palestinians from 1967, including
ex-Gazans, would be required to pay the fees associated with work permits to work in the Kingdom. Not two weeks after the
decision was made, and clearly in response to the litany of objections, Jordanian Labor Minister announced that the decision
was revoked. Although this decision was revoked, the initial decision and the potential impact it would have is clear
evidence of the precarious position that stateless ex-Gazans have in Jordan. Adnan Abu Amer, “Palestinians in Jordan
Outraged Over NewWork Permit Requirements,” updated February 2, 2016,
The Jordan Times, “Temporary passport holders exmeplted from work permit fees,” updated January 11, 2016,
221 Mona Christopherson, “ Jordan: Seeking Progress in the Land of the Refugees,”, IPI Global Observatory , February 3, 2015,
land-refugees/
222 After grade 10, students may continue on for a further two years of secondary vocational or academic courses. The
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, “Human Resources: Education in Jordan: A commitment to Excellence,” accessed June 6,
2016, ; UNICEF, Jordan’s early childhood development initiative: Making
Jordan fit for Children. (New York: UNICEF, 2008),:
p22.
223 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2009: Events of 2008, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2008)
Jason Hart and Anna Kvittingen, Tested at the Margins:
the Contingent Rights of Displaced Iraqi Children in Jordan, (Geneva: UNHCR, 2015),
us/research/working/54cf8de29/tested-margins-contingent-rights-displaced-iraqi-children-jordan-jason.html (pg. 2-3).