Jordan has long been a significant host country for refugees, housing large numbers of Palestinians, Iraqis, Syrians, and others displaced by conflict. By 2024, it became the second-highest country in terms of refugees per capita globally, with UNHCR registering around 710,000 individuals from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia. While praised for its refugee-friendly stance, Jordan’s system has been criticised for its discriminatory and hierarchical structure that favours Syrian refugees over others, including Yemenis. Non-Syrian refugees, unlike their Syrian counterparts, face exclusion from the benefits outlined in the Jordan Compact, particularly regarding work permits. They must relinquish their UNHCR-issued asylum seeker certificates to obtain a work permit, a requirement that denies them resettlement options. For Yemenis, new regulations introduced in 2020 significantly restricted their labour market access, often leading to deportation if they worked while holding asylum seeker documentation. This creates a dilemma for refugees who must choose between legal employment without future resettlement prospects or remaining unemployed while awaiting resettlement—a process that can take over a decade. These discriminatory practices have resulted in widespread exploitation and deportation risks, with non-Syrian refugees often working illegally under precarious conditions. Reports indicate that 61% of working non-Syrians lack work permits, with Yemenis particularly vulnerable to abuse.
Non-Syrian refugee children face significant barriers to education, including economic and bureaucratic challenges. While Syrian refugees benefit from free education, families from Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Iraq must pay substantial fees—40 JD annually for primary and 60 JD for secondary education. Additional costs for uniforms, school materials, transportation, and internet access exacerbate the financial burden. Legislative obstacles, such as the need for proof of residency or other documents, further hinder non-Syrian children’s access to education. This disproportionately affects refugees who fled their countries without essential documents, leaving many unable to enrol their children in school. School principals’ discretion in enrollment decisions creates an inconsistent and potentially arbitrary system, further marginalizing these children based on their ethnicity and refugee status.
Jordan’s policies contravene its commitments to international agreements, including the ICESCR, which guarantees the right to work and education without discrimination. Article 6 of the ICESCR obligates states to ensure access to employment for everyone, including non-nationals. The exclusionary policies targeting non-Syrian refugees directly contradict this commitment, as does the Jordan Compact, which focuses on Syrian refugees while neglecting others. Similarly, Article 13 of the ICESCR ensures free and accessible education for all children, emphasizing the elimination of discriminatory practices. However, Jordan’s systematic imposition of fees and document requirements on non-Syrian refugees violates this obligation, constituting indirect discrimination that undermines children’s rights to education. These practices perpetuate a refugee hierarchy, marginalizing Yemenis, Sudanese, Iraqis, and Somalis while prioritizing Syrians. This discriminatory framework exposes Jordan’s failure to comply with its international obligations, demanding urgent reforms to establish equitable access to work and education for all refugees regardless of nationality.