The population in Jordan is seen as a mixed migrant context: consisting of migrants, refugees, and Jordanian workers, many of whom face numerous violations from employers, such as unpaid wages, deprivation of sick leaves and vacation days, absence of social security, and absence of labor permits for non-Jordanian workers.
Informal workers in sectors such as construction, agriculture, factories, beauty salons, and home-based businesses in particular face violations of their right to be registered in social protection schemes and in seeking job security in general.
Additionally, as of 2019, there are 87,000 registered non-Syrian asylum seekers in Jordan, a figure that is greater when taking into consideration the non-registered numbers. These non-Syrian asylum seekers, most of whom are from Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, do not have the right to work despite their residency in Jordan for long periods of time. They also are not issued work permits and receive very low amounts of humanitarian assistance.
This project aims to assist migrants, refugees and Jordanians in their access to legal justice through the provision of legal aid and awareness. It also advocates for the inclusion of non-Syrian asylum seekers in the formal economy.

There are over 1,000,000 migrant workers in Jordan, around 10% of which are domestic workers from various countries such as the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and others. Migrant workers, due to their status as non-Jordanian, suffer many abuses and violations of their rights, such as long working hours, the non-payment of wages, the confiscation of passports, and physical, verbal or sexual abuse.
The Jordanian immigration laws and work permit laws make reasonable efforts to monitor the status of non-Jordanians in 
Jordan; however, several aspects of the legal framework put migrant workers at a disadvantage. The most important of these is the sponsorship system, which binds employees to a ‘sponsor’ for the duration of the contract, not allowing him/her to change sponsors without approval. This places workers in a vulnerable position where they are subject to potentially violent or abusive employers, with no way out.
While there is no explicit mention of the word ‘sponsorship’ in Jordanian law, the reality of recruitment practices are aligned with those of the sponsorship system developed in the Gulf. And while the government has signed several International Agreements protecting the rights of migrant workers, their status remains one of vulnerability.

Jordan is home to 1,000,000 migrant workers and around 1.5 million refugees (registered and unregistered). Its geopolitical location has brought a diverse nature of workers, some of whom have no legal status to work but resort to work in an informal manner, where a violation of worker rights is common. Such sectors which include most informal workers include, but are not limited to: agriculture, construction, mining, domestic work, cafes and restaurants, and home-based businesses.
Many workers in Jordan, both formal and informal, face a number of violations from their employers, such as long working hours, the non-payment of wages, the confiscation of passports, and physical, verbal, or sexual abuse. The vulnerability of their status, however, as well as their desperation for the job, prevents them from complaining about their employer.
Furthermore, many workers generally lack awareness about their legal rights and the national frameworks which protect them and prevent them from abuse. This leads to their acceptance of situations and environments that are not safe or healthy for their physical and mental well-being.
This project aims to provide the legal support and awareness to workers in order to prevent violations and advocate for a decent working environment.

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