Publication Type: Policy Papers

Jordanian youth and their decision-making processes regarding their futures

In this paper we address the issue of out-migration of Jordanian youth, which has consistently been noteworthy. We consider the factors that influence the decision-making processes of Jordanian youth regarding migration in a way that consciously takes individualistic motivations into consideration while attempting to recognize certain patterns and commonalities among this specific age cohort. Within this analysis, we recognize the ways that young people are often reduced to either a ‘resource’ that must be mobilized or taken advantage of, or a social hazard that is to be placated and controlled. We also look into opportunities for growth by analysing existing gaps that relate to youth and migration such as unemployment and recognize the considerable mismatch between skills gained in academia and the needs of the labor market. Further, we look into the ways that prolonged periods out of education and employment, and difficult transitions from education to work, can further increase youth exclusion and frustration while also considering social and cultural elements of exclusion, with specific attention to gender. Many factors influence the decisions – or desires – of young Jordanians with regard to migration. It is important to focus on structural changes that directly influence the well-being of youth. Ultimately, we believe that the opportunity to close the gap between what young people want and what they lack is present and requires studying and analysing the problems of disadvantaged youth with the goal to ultimately develop evidence-based policies.

ARDD issues a legal paper on Birth registration statistics for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011 and the influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan, it was expected that vital civil incidents would occur in the refugee community, especially with the protracted crisis situation since 2011, and the most prominent of these incidents were birth and death. Making documenting these incidents essential, especially in light of the Jordanian laws, which obliges everyone who has been on Jordanian lands – when these incidents occurred on t – to register them with the Jordanian Civil Status Department and to issue official documents for these incidents via birth, deaths or marriage certificate to document that it took place on Jordanian territory, regardless of nationality. Birth certificate is very important, as it is the first official document that a person has certifying the authenticity of one’s personal information and has a great influence on future legal considerations. This information includes the date and time of birth, the name of the newborn, their surname, the name of the mother and father, the gender of the newborn, and the place of the childbirth and nationality. Consequently, the failure to issue such certificate leads to the risk of statelessness, especially in cases of asylum families are more vulnerable to disintegration due to the unstable refugee situation and its psychological, social and economic implications, and the failure to document these incidents, may lead to children being at risk of statelessness, and documenting these incidents provides protection for them through certifying parenthood, age and nationality. In light of documenting these incidents, especially the issue of birth certificates, official authorities, including the Ministry of the Interior, the Civil Status Department, the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate, the High Commissioner for Refugees, ARDD and other actors in this field have endeavored to spread awareness to motivate, help, and facilitate procedures of issuing these documents and ensuring their issuance and documentation for Syrian refugees present on Jordanian lands. Since the start of the campaign in the beginning of 2017 until the end of 2018, ARDD worked at addressing cases related to a birth certificate for Syrian refugees after one year of age, through the procedures and legal assistance it provided, as indicated in the report. ARDD has worked on more than 3500 cases and Legal Aid Unit lawyers presented more than 9875 legal consultations related to issuing a birth certificate. This legal paper addresses the statistics of birth registrations for Syrian Refugees in Jordan during 2017 and 2018, the importance of recording these cases, the legal dimensions, challenges and measures to address these challenges and ARDD’s role and recommendations in this regard.

Guidelines for Effective and Positive Parent and Teacher Communication

These Guidelines are the product of reflection on the issues that were presented in the field in Mafraq governorate in Jordan where a large population of Syrian refugees live alongside their Jordanian neighbors, many of whom come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In this context it was observed that teachers and parents rarely talk and generally only for negative issues. Once identified as a significant issue, a comprehensive overview of parent and teacher communication strategies in other parts of the world was conducted and read in light of the challenges identified in the Mafraq context. The initial drafting of these guidelines was synthesized here in the form of practical guidelines for other partners in the field in Jordan and elsewhere, who too are committed to improving the access to quality education for all children.