Jordan and the refugees

The Middle Eastern region has been living in continuous crisis since World War II. The continuous crises are due, in no small measure, to refugees. 

Jordan has been particularly affected by refugees. 

Wave after wave of refugees has had its impact on Jordan: in 1948 and in 1967, Palestinian refugees; then, in 1990, more Palestinian refugees after Saddam Hussein invaded to Kuwait, Iraqi refugees after the Iraqi war 1990-2003, more recently the Syrian crisis, which greatly affected the Jordanian society, not to forget Yemenis, Lebanese and Libyans who found in Jordan a good place to settle in.

Jordan is hosting the biggest camps for Syrian refugees. For more than five years Jordan has received hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

After the recent terrorist attacks on the Jordanian border, the Kingdom started to adopt a more cautious strategy in receiving refuges.

On the one hand, security seems to be the main reason for the tight control over the movement of refugees, as security information indicates high risk from terrorists fleeing among refugees, mainly those who come from Daesh-controlled territories. 

On the other, it is obvious that Jordan is not satisfied with the level of support given by the international community, especially in the last two years, when security became a priority issue for the international community. 

Jordan has the right to close its borders and take measures that ensure its security. 

Nonetheless, this strategy has to have some flexibility, especially when it comes to specific humanitarian cases.

Older refugees, the sick, the handicapped, single mothers with young children, the elderly and children with serious health problems should be treated like humanitarian case, far from any political decision.

Jordan has played the most significant role in the management of refugee crisis. 

It responded to pressure by allowing humanitarian agencies to provide food and water to refugees on the borders under army supervision.

The international community should show more understanding to the Jordanian position, while Jordan should be more flexible in the case of individual humanitarian cases, remembering the words of Benjamin Franklin: “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

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