Jordan’s labor ministry is preparing to launch a campaign to crack down on all foreigners who are employed without a work permit, a ministry source said.
The source told the Jordan Times that the campaign was a reinforcement of ministry regulations that prohibit foreign workers from illegally working in the kingdom.
He said it was also meant to ensure that foreign laborers were not working in “restricted” fields that are only open to Jordanians.
Two years ago, the ministry issued regulations reserving certain professions for Jordanian workers.
Eighteen jobs such as hairdressing, public service and clothes shop vendors were set aside exclusively for Jordanians.
Minister of Labor Eid Fayez was quoted by the source as saying that there were 300,000 foreign laborers currently working in the kingdom.
The number, according to the source, has dropped from 600,000 laborers due to a similar campaign the ministry carried out in 1999.
Meanwhile, the official said the ministry was activating the work of its field employment offices to help find jobs for Jordanian workers as part of the ministry’s efforts to replace foreign laborers.
The source said the ministry would hold an “awareness campaign” before the launch of its inspection plan. He said the campaign would utilize the media to ask workers and employers to rectify their status in the kingdom before taking any legal action.
According to ministry regulations, any laborer who is found to be working illegally in the kingdom is to be immediately deported – Albawaba.com
