Jordan

Overview

IOM has had a presence in Jordan since 1990, when IOM facilitated and managed the repatriation of 165,000 Third Country Nationals who fled the first Iraqi crisis. IOM established an office in Jordan in 1994 and Jordan became a member state of IOM in 1999.

Historically Jordan has been both a country of origin and destination for migrant workers. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, hundreds of thousands of highly skilled Jordanians migrated for employment mainly to the Gulf countries, while during the same period, Jordan introduced policies favoring immigration of mainly semi-skilled workers from Egypt, Syria, and Asian countries to meet the needs of its agrarian, semi-industrial and service-oriented economy.

Today, Jordan’s migration profile, is one of mixed migration, with refugees displaced by conflict in the region, many who are in need of protection and durable solutions, migrant workers in Jordan primarily from Egypt and South and South-East Asia, and Jordanian workers abroad, mainly in the Gulf countries. While migrants and refugees in Jordan, and Jordanians abroad, contribute to economies and societies of host and origin communities, they can also be in vulnerable situations needing assistance and protection, and less resilient to shocks as seen in the context of COVID-19, which have highlighted inter-sectional vulnerabilities.

IOM works together with partners to support the Government of Jordan to fulfil their commitments towards migrants1, refugees, and host communities in accordance with national priorities and regional and global commitments and processes, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

Established in October 2019, IOM is together with ILO chairing a National Working Group on Migration, ensuring a coordinated UN country team (UNCT)-wide support to the Government of Jordan and other relevant national non-governmental stakeholders in implementing the GCM and related policies. Since its inception, the Working Group has provided technical support to the Government’s efforts to advance the implementation, monitoring and reporting on the GCM, including the first annual review of the progress in GCM implementation in the country. Biannual meetings are co-chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), providing a forum for dialogue between the Government, UN, and civil society actors, as well as the private sector and academia. 

IOM and the UN:
IOM was founded in 1951 to bring Europeans ravaged by the Second World War to safe shores and new lives. On September 2016, IOM became the UN Migration Agency following an agreement with the UN signed during the Summit for Refugees and Migrants. The new status of IOM as Related Organization to the UN aims at establishing better coordination of efforts among relevant agencies to ensure that the issues of migrants are comprehensively addressed. This agreement also reflects the trust that IOM and the UN have built up through their close collaboration over 66 years and the evolution of IOM’s mandate to cover all migration related issues.

IOM Core Mandate
IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and the whole of society. As the UN Migration Agency, IOM acts with its partners globally to:
•    Uphold human dignity and the well-being of migrants and refugees 
•    Assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration management
•    Advance understanding of migration issues
•    Encourage social and economic development through migration

In Jordan key programmatic areas include:
•    Immigration and Border Management 
•    Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion 
•    Emergency and Resilience
•    Migration Health
•    Migration Environment and Climate Change 

Office

12 Suheil Majdoubeh Street, Jordan University St., Opposite the University Hospital, Tila'a Al-Ali, Amman 11953

Tel: +962 6 562 5080
Fax: +962 6 562 5081
Email: iomamman@iom.int

Migration Activities

RESETTLEMENT

IOM Jordan provides various services to refugees and countries of resettlement, including medical health assessments and travel health assistance to refugees accepted for resettlement to third countries, including Australia, Canada, the United States of America and several European countries. Those accepted for resettlement are provided with cultural orientation and support during travel and upon arrival. The resettled refugees are mainly from Iraq and Syria, although nationals from Somalia, Sudan and other countries are included in the program.

THE RESETTLEMENT SUPPORT CENTER FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (RSCMENA)

In addition to Jordan, RSC MENA conducts resettlement processing for the United States Refugee Admissions Program (US-RAP) in fifteen countries throughout the MENA region, and India. Funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), RSC MENA assists refugees with the complex resettlement process to the United States. This includes creating case files upon receipt of UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Referrals, applications for the Direct Access Program, or Affidavits of Relationship from family members in the United States; interviewing refugee applicants to collect biographical information, reasons for flight and information regarding past persecution; coordinating selection missions for officers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who interview refugee applicants and determine eligibility for admission to the United States; coordinating with IOM’s Medical Health Department and U.S. Embassy panel physicians in scheduling medical examinations for all applicants; and coordinating with IOM operations colleagues to book refugees for travel to their final destination. From 01 Oct 2016 through 31 Jan 2019, throughout the region, RSC MENA facilitated the interviews of 18,393 individuals by USCIS and coordinated departures of 9,129 individuals to the United States. Of the 9,129 refugees who arrived in the United States, 3,925 departed directly from Jordan.

ASSISTED MOVEMENT OPERATIONS

IOM in Jordan arranges the transportation for all refugees resettling to Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States from MENA region, as well as of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) beneficiaries worldwide. IOM Amman Movement Operations works closely with UNHCR, ICRC, various embassies, USCIS, RSC MENA, and resettlement agencies based in the country of destination to arrange the safe and timely transportation of beneficiaries. IOM also assists victims of trafficking and other migrants in need of voluntary returns and family reunification cases. Since January 2018, IOM Amman assisted in the movements of over 8,200 migrants and refugees from Jordan to various destinations; and managed the movement of over 6,000 refugees and SIV beneficiaries from Iraq and Afghanistan to the USA.

CULTURAL ORIENTATION

Cultural Orientation (CO) is provided to refugees who have been accepted for resettlement by the immigration country. CO prepares refugees for integration by providing practical information on the country of destination and assists refugees in developing realistic expectations and learning skills and attitudes needed to become independent as early as possible after their arrival. CO addresses the psychosocial wellbeing of participants and provides a nonthreatening learning environment in which refugees express their hopes and fears. Each resettlement country has its own CO programme. Over 26,800 refugees benefitted from IOM Jordan’s CO sessions between 2016 and 2018.

CANADA VISA APPLICATION CENTER (VAC)

IOM Canada VAC in Jordan offers to applicants the following services: ‘help-desks’ to answer questions face-to-face, respond to feedback and distribute visa application forms and checklists; websites enabling applicants to access visa-related information and forms with features to track the progress of their visa applications online; and client-oriented center services in responding to queries through the call center helpline number and by email. The VAC in Amman has received more than 6,100 paper applications from January 2018 to the end of January 2019 and processed more than 6,350 biometrics including paper and online applications.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (FAP)

The IOM Family Assistance Programme (FAP) is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office to facilitate the reunification of vulnerable migrant families fleeing conflict, with a person with protection status in Germany. The program started in 2016 with five service centres. After successfully managing this migration pathway to Germany over the past two years, the programme has now been expanded to support beneficiaries through a network of service centres across ten countries including Jordan. The FAP in Amman has processed 995 applications from Aug 2018 to the end of January 2019 including biometrics collection on behalf of the German Embassy and assisted 6,496 individuals as walk-ins from March 2018 until January 2019.

MIGRATION HEALTH DIVISION (MHD)

HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND TRAVEL HEALTH ASSISTANCE

IOM MHD facilitates smooth migration and refugee resettlement through provision of quality-assured migration health assessments (HA) and travel health assistance. Migration health assessments involve counselling, review of medical history, physical examination, and investigations such as imaging studies, laboratory tests and specialist referrals. Pre-embarkation checks (PEC), and pre-departure medical screenings (PDMS) are performed to assess the migrants’ fitness to travel and any needs for medical assistance during travel to ensure escort by health professionals.

 

SUPPORTING TUBERCULOSIS, HIV/AIDS AND MALARIA DISASTER CONTROL PROGRAMMES IN JORDAN, LEBANON, YEMEN, IRAQ AND SYRIA THROUGH THE MIDDLE EAST RESPONSE (MER)

The Middle East Response (MER) is an innovative multi-country approach funded by The Global Fund and managed from IOM Jordan to ensure continuity of essential HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. In Jordan, the MER supports the national tuberculosis and HIV AIDS control programmes in the Ministry of Health by extending the reach of the diagnostic and treatment services to Syrian refugees and hard-to-reach vulnerable and key affected populations. HIV related activities include access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and access to treatment care and support including anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

In 2018, working closely with partner NGOs and the national programme, more than 2,500 HIV tests were performed and 24 people living with HIV (PLHIV) were identified and provided access to ART. The national TB programme is supported through a mobile field team while the interventions include active case finding, presumptive TB cases referrals, patients follow-up, nutritional support through food package distribution. In 2018, 63 drug-sensitive and two multidrug resistant TB cases were notified; 35 patients have already completed their treatment successfully by the end of the year. In addition, IOM continues to strengthen the capacity of the National TB and HIV Programmes through procuring laboratory consumables and supplies, essential equipment and medicines.

SYRIA CRISIS RESPONSE

IOM’s humanitarian operation was launched in July 2012 as part of the United Nations Humanitarian Country Team response to the Syrian crisis. In the initial years of the crisis, IOM provided emergency evacuation assistance for more than half a million individuals from border areas and reception centers to camps. Incoming asylum seekers received vaccinations and fit-to-travel assessments, and third country nationals were assisted with repatriation to their home countries. To support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2165 and subsequent extensions, IOM also operated a common cross border logistics service for humanitarian partners delivering assistance from Jordan to Syria, organizing nearly 4,000 trucks from 2014 until the close of cross-border activities in 2018. IOM currently supports Syrian refugees in Jordan with transportation to meet a variety of needs. From February 2017 to June 2018, IOM and UNICEF provided school transportation services to students enrolled in formal education in Azraq camp. IOM transported some 7,000 students in the camp on a daily basis and provided cash for work opportunities to a total of 255 Syrian volunteers, employed to provide safety and protection to students using the transportation. As a member of the Basic Needs Working Group and Common Cash Facility in Jordan, IOM supports refugees and Jordanians in host communities with targeted, cash-based assistance to meet their basic needs. With support from PRM in 2018, IOM assisted over 1,000 Syrian refugee households across four governorates with one-time cash grants to cover their most urgent winterization needs.

MIGRATION MANAGEMENT

HUMANITARIAN BORDER MANAGEMENT

Within the framework of two projects funded by the European Union and the Japanese Government, IOM builds the capacity of relevant Jordanian authorities in implementing border management practices that satisfy security demands and comply with international humanitarian standards. IOM trains frontline officers and officials from the border authorities on specific issues related to international human rights and humanitarian laws; counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling techniques; identification of vulnerable individuals; and protection and prioritization of vulnerable cases. IOM supports the Government in reinforcing the management of the borders with Syria through the provision of adequate infrastructure, including new buildings and equipment at the key border posts/locations on the north-eastern borders. From 2014 to 2018, IOM built and renovated 20 sites to provide office and accommodation space for the Jordanian Armed Forces.

 

 

COUNTER TRAFFICKING

Since 2008, IOM has been working closely with various governmental institutions on combating human trafficking in Jordan by building the capacity of public officials and civil society actors; raising awareness amongst key groups such as migrants, refugees and Jordanian youth; and providing direct assistance to victims of trafficking. A group of trainers was created to reinforce the skills of public employees in detecting and referring trafficking cases. IOM has supported the relevant Jordanian authorities in developing a national referral mechanism in order to better identify and protect the victims of trafficking and exploitation. Since January 2018, IOM trained 200 individual humanitarian workers and partners on victim identification, referral and the protection framework and services available in Jordan.

INTEGRATED BORDER MANAGEMENT - KARAMAH