Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
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health sectors. Many of the struggles with capacity and quality currently faced by Jordanian
service systems were, however, present prior to the current crisis. The education system, for
example, suffered from a neglected infrastructure, poor academic results, and inadequate
training for teachers even prior to the Syrian crisis. In some ways, the refugee crisis has the
potential to have a positive effect by directing new resources, including from international and
humanitarian donors, toward addressing these longstanding challenges.
The economic impact of refugee flows in Jordan is even more difficult to judge. Many of the
economic challenges experienced by Jordan and its neighbors since 2011 result, at least in
part, from disruption to the regional economy caused by the war in Syria, rather than Syrian
refugee flows. A large portion of the Jordanian economy relies on regional exports, which have
dropped substantially. Moreover, prices on consumer goods have risen as imports from Syria
and Egypt have fallen.253 Disentangling the impact of Syrian refugees specifically from these
other factors is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
It is possible to point to some fiscal and economic benefits from the crisis. The refugee
population brought with it substantial commitments in the form of humanitarian and
development aid and stimulus policies. The increased demand for services has brought with it
new demand for labor, particularly as operations by international humanitarian organizations
have proliferated in the country.254 As part of the February 2016 Jordan Compact, for
example, the World Bank provided a $100 million interest-free loan to Jordan255 and the
European Union recently offered Jordan temporary trade concessions designed to facilitate an
increase in imports of Jordanian goods to the European Union.256
Another point of contention has been the effects of refugees on the labor market. While
concerns have risen among some segments of the public regarding competition for jobs
between refugees and Jordanian workers,257 evidence of such competition has been relatively
limited. An ILO review in 2015, for example, found that the impacts on the labor market had
been modest, and that because Syrians are primarily employed in a few sectors and lower
skilled jobs, competition with natives has been limited.258 Moreover, ongoing international
efforts to expand international investment in Jordan’s Special Economic Zones with the hope
253 Bashar Al-Khatib and Katharina Lenner, “‘A Human gift’ – The socio-economic dimension of the Syrian refugee crisis
(interview with Yusuf Mansur, 14.8.2015),” in Alternative Voices on the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Jordan: An Interview
Collection, (Ramallah, Palestine: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Regional Office Palestine, 2015)
p26 Mansur, Y, (2015), ‘A
Human gift’ p26
254 F. Adely “Not wasting my education”: The internal skilled migration of Jordanian women. Public lecture at Sijal Institute,
Amman, Jordan. 23 March, 2016.
255 World Bank, “World Bank approves $100 million in financing to create 100,00 jobs for Jordanians, Syrian refugees,”
(press release, , March 26, 2016),
256 The Jordan Times, “King concludes Brussels visit with milestone deals with EU,” March 18, 2016.Available
257 REACH, Evaluating the Effect of the Syrian Refugee Crisis on Stability and Resilience in Jordanian Host Communities:
Preliminary Impact Assessment, (Geneva: REACH, 2014),
syrian-refugee-crisis-on-stability-and-resilience-in-jordanian-host-communities-preliminary-impact-assessment
258 Svein Erik Stave and Maha Kattaa, Labour force and unemployment trends among Jordanians, Syrians and Egyptians in
Jordan 2011-2014, (Oslo: FAFO & ILO, November 2015),
, p22