Jordan has a rich heritage of hosting refugees from Palestine, Iraq, Yemen,
Sudan, and Somalia, among others. However, the largest number of refugees are
from Syria, estimated at a staggering 1.4 million, of which some 655,500
refugees are registered with the UNHCR.
اضافة اعلان
While Jordan
appears in some global and regional statistics in terms of the number of
refugees it is hosting, it is not an exaggeration to say that Jordan’s role is
rather under-appreciated in the dominant humanitarian narratives. We, the
authors, have been involved in a research that focuses on the perceptions of host
communities, as well as of the Syrian refugees, regarding the latter’s
integration in Al-Mafraq which hosts the second largest number of Syrian
refugees (more specifically 25.2 percent of Syrian refugees, around 169,836 in
total) after Amman, which hosts 29.7 percent of Syrian refugees (totaling
around 200,702). Our research shows that some tensions are bubbling up within
the Jordan community since the arrival of Syrian refugees.
We observed in our
study both positive and negative opinions among both host communities and
refugees. There is overwhelming sympathy toward the refugees due to religious,
linguistic, and cultural similarities, but there is also growing frustration
amongst some sections of society. This is largely due to the impact of the
economic burden of hosting a very large number of refugees. The perceived loss
of employment opportunities among the locals plays a massive role in this
regard.
Some degrees of
anger and agitations were also expressed by the host communities in view of the
repeatedly highlighted fact that Jordan has severe resource limitations. Many
agreed that the world should do more to help. The responsibility of hosting
Syrian refugees should not be solely placed on Jordanians.
Humanitarian
workers said that the frustration level is very high since there was a huge
reduction in the support from the international community for both Syrian
refugees and the host community. They also said that the aid program helps deal
with the problem over the short term, stressing that the solution to the crisis
needs the strong political will of all major stakeholders.
Jordanians’
hospitality and goodwill should not be overstretched in dealing with the
refugee crisis, as it could become a long-term problem and potentially reduce
willingness of Jordanians to host refugees at all.
The current
social tensions are bubbling at a manageable level. Adding more pressure and
long-term problems could lead to an outburst of social tensions, which could be
highly damaging and difficult to manage.
Evidence on the ground suggests that cash assistance programs and food stamps were very effective in reducing poverty among Syrian refugees, but our respondents question whether humanitarian response alone is sufficient to meet the current needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan.
We found that the
host communities in Jordan are aware of the huge negative impact of the Syrian
crisis and the need to support Jordan to manage the refugees to avoid any
future conflict between refugees and the host community.
Jordan is
burdened with extreme water scarcity, and the challenges related to this have
been aggravated by the influx of refugees since 2011. Economic struggles are
another issue Jordan continues to be held back by. The huge influx of refugees
puts additional strain on the economy, which records an average of 2.2 percent
annual GDP growth.
A report prepared
by the UNHCR and the World Bank Group (WBG) highlighted the limitations of
current policies and approaches designed to manage the refugee situation in
Jordan in the medium and long term.
Evidence on the
ground suggests that cash assistance programs and food stamps were very
effective in reducing poverty among Syrian refugees, but our respondents
question whether humanitarian response alone is sufficient to meet the current
needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan.
What about
supporting the host community and mitigating the negative effects that are
caused by the Syrian crisis?
While Jordan is
not yet witnessing high-level anti-refugee rhetoric, the change in perceptions
of the host community (and of the refugees) could soon become deeply damaging,
particularly if the current issues are not given immediate attention by the future government, NGOs, and
international community policies concerning the refugees.
A major policy
shift in dealing with the refugees is clearly needed for the long-term
solutions to minimize brewing tensions that could turn into social discord in
the Jordanian society.
While the
ordinary Jordanians have been extremely supportive of the refugees, the
responsibilities now falls largely on the international community and national
governments.
Palash Kamruzzaman is senior lecturer in social policy at
South Wales Business School, University of South Wales, UK. [email protected].
Hanaa Albanna is senior social researcher
at Faith Regen Foundation, London. [email protected].
Najah Al Shanableh
is assistant professor, Computer Science Department, Al Al al-Bayt University.
Mohammad Alhadab is associate professor in accounting, Al al-Bayt University.
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