Jordan: Syrian refugee camp holds recruitment fair

50 jordanian companies and factories took part in a recruitment fair in the Zaatari refugee camp yesterday in an effort to help Syrian refugees find work.

The exhibition, organised by the Zaatari Employment Office in cooperation with UNHCR and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), is the first of its kind in the camp located in Mafraq, 85 kilometres northeast of Amman. It is being held nearly two months after the Jordanian Ministry of Labour began issuing work permits to refugees residing in refugee camps allowing them to work outside of the camps.

Statistics from the Ministry of Labour indicate that more than 7,000 Syrian refugees residing in the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps were issued work permits.

Ahmed Orabi, owner of a Jordanian clothing factory, participated in the exhibition hoping to get skilled Syrian tailors and seamstresses. “The Syrians are skilled textile workers who have a good reputation in the field,” he explained, adding that there are about 35 refugees currently working at his factory.

Orabi received dozens of requests for employment from the refugees which he will review. He told Alaraby Al-Jadeed:  ‘I am looking for workers with experience. It is not a problem if they have minimal experience, as they can be trained quickly.”

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The Jordanian Labour Law applies to Syrian refugees in terms of working hours and minimum wages, while the factory, located in a city about 30 kilometres from the camp, provides transport.

Refugees also benefit from financial exemptions provided by the Jordanian Labour Ministry in order to encourage them to apply for work permits. The fee for a working permit is $14.

Jordan began granting work permits to Syrian refugees living outside the camps following the Supporting Syria and the Region conference held in London in February last year. This came after European countries promises to facilitate the entry of Jordanian exports into their countries, in exchange for granting 200,000 work permits to refugees.