Refugees In Jordan Essay

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Jordan has witnessed many waves of refugees since its inception in 1946, with some waves coming even before independence. Despite its very limited natural and financial resources, Jordan has hosted refugees from the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, and Sudan. The status of various ethnic groups that have settled in Jordan range from full integration into Jordanian society to no or very little integration. For example, Circassian and Chechens are full members of Jordanian society while Sudanese and Somali refugees are widely treated as outcasts. Therefore, it is imperative that NGOs focus their limited financial resources on those refugees who have very little integration in society and who are therefore more vulnerable. In addition, it is important these organizations are aware of the demographics of the refugee population in Jordan and what services are most needed.
Jordan’s demographic balance is made up of ethnic Jordanians, non-Arab immigrants who came before Jordan’s independence (i.e Circassians, Chechens, and Armenians), several waves of Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, African refugees from primarily Sudan and Somalia and recently refugees from Syria. The integration of these ethnic groups generally depend on the time of their arrival with those arriving the earliest having integrated the most and therefore are the least vulnerable. The further integration of certain refugee groups namely Palestinians remain hampered by political considerations namely the Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that would foresee the establishment of a new Palestinian state. Despite Palestinians being short of full political citizens, the general situation of Palestinians is considerably better off than those from la...

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... jobs. This scenario is worrisome due to the political implications of the Arab Spring and the rising dissent against the Jordanian regime from neglected towns and cities in the northern part of the country.
The Jordanian government and NGOs have an uphill task of providing for the various waves of refugees that have settled in the kingdom. Refugee communities reside both in designated refugee camps and host communities, each having their own set of challenges. It is important that NGOs and the government engages communities by their vulnerability. Vulnerability depends greatly on the racial background and the arrival time of the migrant with African refugees being the most vulnerable. Moreover, the responsibility of the care and protection of refugees also follow on the international community and not just on host countries like Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon.

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