On Thursday 12 March, the Jordanian Ministry of Labor and the International Organization for Migration in Jordan launched a 3-day workshop from 12 – 14 March 2015 in Dead Sea, Jordan to reflect on current response to combat trafficking and to discuss the creation of Jordanian National Referral Mechanism to assist exploited migrant workers and victims of trafficking. This workshop is taking place within the framework of IOM’s regional project on Action to Protect and Assist Vulnerable and Exploited Migrant Workers in the Middle East and North Africa (PAVE), which has been running in the region since 2013 and is funded by the European Union and the Italian Ministry of Interior. 

Although the government of Jordan has made significant progress tackling human trafficking in recent years, there are still a number of gaps in the current legal system, including the absence of a formal referral mechanism. The workshop was opened by the Minister of Labour who remarked that “because of the current context in the region, Jordan is vulnerable to many issues, including that of trafficking in persons.…..and the country seeks to work with the international community in combatting such problems”. H.E. Dr Joanna Wronecka, Ambassador of the EU Delegation in Jordan said that “the workshop could in fact not be more timely or relevant” given Jordan and the surrounding region’s position as a major destination and transit country. 

Over the course of three days, participants will seek to identify the key elements required for referral mechanism in Jordanian, with the aim of putting together a draft mechanism. It brings together government officials, criminal justice agents from the Jordanian Ministries of Labour, Interior, Health, Social Development and Justice, the Civil Society Organizations including JWU, Tamkeen and Caritas. 

Davide Terzi, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Jordan, I expressed his “great thanks to the European Union (EU) and the Italian Ministry of Interior whose generous support made this event possible” and underlined “IOM’s commitment to support Jordan in its fight against human trafficking aims……through enhancing the capacities of host governments and civil society actors 

The workshop follows a study visit to Belgium for high level government officials from Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Lebanon that IOM organised to share experiences and observe the advanced Belgian victim protection framework, in which representatives from the Jordanian Counter trafficking unit and Ministry of Interior participated. The knowledge gained from the visit will be used as a reflection for better protection framework in Jordan. The PAVE project aims to contribute to the protection of migrant workers against exploitation and trafficking in five different countries; Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon through training, regional dialogue, study visits, victim assistance, awareness raising, and research and analysis. 

For more information please contact: 

Fitriana Nur 
Regional Project Manager- PAVE 

Tel: +961 (7) 662 06 48 Email: fnur@iom.int