Category: Jordan

Destination Country Jordan Migrant Labor

Photo Essay: Migrant Workers in Jordan’s Garment Industry

South Asian migrant workers in a garment factory in Jordan. Photo by Sabrina Toppa.

Over the past twenty years, Jordan has emerged as a critical node in the global apparel supply chain, which in Jordan employs more than 60,000 workers. Almost 70 percent of the kingdom’s garment employees are female foreign workers from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Yet while the kingdom offers comparatively favorable […]

CONTINUE READING
India Jordan Migrant Labor

Great migrant hope

Indian migrant labourers in Jordon and other West Asian countries have little to hope for unless there is considerable labour reform. For millions of Indians who travel to the Gulf and other West Asian countries for work, the kafala (sponsor) system is a known devil. As per the system, which operates right across the region, […]

CONTINUE READING
India Jordan Migrant Labor

Despite Jordan’s Efforts, There Is A Long Way To Go To Ensure Protection For Domestic Workers

South Asian workers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh working in Jordanian garment factories in Dhulail Industrial City. Courtesy: Rina Mukherji.

When Meilani Yuswandari, an Indonesian from Jakarta, completed her higher secondary education, she began looking for work abroad. During her search, Yuswandari met a recruiting agent who assured her of an office job in Jordan. But when she reached the country in 2011, she realised that the office job she was promised did not exist. […]

CONTINUE READING
Bangladesh India Jordan Migrant Labor Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

Despite Labour Laws, South Asian Workers Suffer in Jordan’s Billion Dollar Industries

South Asian workers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh working in Jordanian garment factories in Dhulail Industrial City. Courtesy: Rina Mukherji.

Unlike other countries in West Asia, Jordan lacks petrodollars. In 1996, an agreement with the US gave the country preferential duty-free and quota-free access to the American market. This was the first such agreement the US ever had with an Arab nation and saw the establishment of Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZ) – essentially, industrial zones created […]

CONTINUE READING