Thursday, March 29, 2007
Independent research institute to begin undertaking census of Iraqis in Jordan
Humanitarian
(IRIN) - The huge influx of Iraqis in Jordan over the past year has caused the creation of an illegal employment market that is undercutting the wages of ordinary Jordanians and sometimes robbing them of their jobs, local officials say.`In addition, some Jordanians blame incoming Iraqis for property price rises, and increasingly overburdened education and health systems. "Iraqis who are educated can easily get good jobs in the black market but they are not well paid, and are exploited by working longer hours without being compensated," Mustafa Abdel-Kadder, a spokesman for the Association of Iraqis in Jordan (AIJ), said.
"They [Iraqis] accept these conditions to keep their families in the country and avoid deportation," he added. About 750,000 Iraqis of different religious persuasions and ethnic backgrounds have found refuge in Jordan after fleeing the uncontrolled violence in their country, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Only 250,000 are officially registered as refugees, the agency says.
"They [Iraqis] accept these conditions to keep their families in the country and avoid deportation," he added. About 750,000 Iraqis of different religious persuasions and ethnic backgrounds have found refuge in Jordan after fleeing the uncontrolled violence in their country, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Only 250,000 are officially registered as refugees, the agency says.
To determine the exact numbers of Iraqis in Jordan and their respective needs, the Jordanian government and Fafo Foundation, a Norwegian independent research institute, will begin undertaking a census of Iraqis in Jordan from 1 April. The government hopes an internationally recognized study would persuade donors to grant Jordan the support it needs to accommodate the refugees and their respective needs. The survey is expected to take two months to complete and Jordanian authorities have said any Iraqis who do not cooperate will be deported.`According to specialists, most of the Iraqis in Jordan work in 'black market jobs', without proper documentation or government approval. With a huge pool of Iraqis willing to do menial jobs, business owners prefer to hire illegal Iraqi workers at a lower pay.
While Iraqi refugees are scattered all over Jordan, many live in the capital, Amman. This surge of people looking for refuge in the kingdom has led to huge price increases in the property market and in many other areas of the economy."
Labels: census, Fafo Foundation, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, UNHCR
