Yarmouk University presents two studies on migration, refugees

AMMAN — Yarmouk University's (YU) Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Centre, in partnership with the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation, on Thursday launched two scientific studies on the economic perspectives of refugees and on identifying the causes behind the increasing pressures the hosting of Syrian refugee is having on Jordan.

YU President Islam Massad said that the outcomes of these studies stress the importance of scientific research and the role of academia in supporting development institutions in various fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Massad said that understanding the economic situation of refugees and their influence and impact on the Jordanian economy, in addition to the challenges they face in host communities, constitute an important step in building a strategic perspective to work with and for refugees. 

Regional Director of Friedrich Naumann Foundation Jörg Dehnert said that migration is among the top current problems worldwide, noting the significant presence of refugees in the US and Europe, making migration a global issue that requires integrating refugees into their communities.

The first study, titled "Strengthening the economic perspective of refugees and marginalised groups based on empirical studies and analyses", stressed that Syrian refugee issue is one of the most important challenges Jordan has faced in decades, noting that it came immediately after the relative recovery from the effects of the global economic crisis that has plagued various countries in the world. 

The study also said that Jordan has succeeded in providing security, health and education services to its citizens and "guests" alike, and has provided services to Syrian refugees — available domestic resources and international donor support permitting.

The study noted that Jordan issued 62,000 work permits to Syrian refugees in 2021 to enhance their self-reliance and integrate their capabilities into the national economy.

The second study, titled "Identifying the causes that increase the pressure of Syrian migration in Jordan on the local population and refugees and reaching solutions to reduce these causes", referred to factors that increase the pressure of migration on Jordan. 

The study proposed several solutions to alleviate the burden of migration on Jordan.