(MENAFN- Jordan Times) More than 100,000 Egyptians are working and residing in the Kingdom illegally, the labour ministry revealed on Tuesday.
In a press conference yesterday following a meeting with Egyptian Minister of Manpower and Migration Aisha Abdel Hadi, Labour Minister Ibrahim Omoush said over 100,000 out of the 338,000 Egyptian workers in the Kingdom do not have valid work or residency permits.
“Egyptian labourers constitute around 70 per cent of all guest workers in Jordan. The ministry is keen to coordinate with the Egyptian side in legalising their stay in the Kingdom,†he added.
The minister said the two sides have signed the minutes of an agreement that entails the establishment of a joint committee to improve a joint electronic database of Egyptians seeking employment in Jordan.
Omoush added that the ministry, upon a request from the Egyptian side, will give a grace period for Egyptian workers in violation to rectify their situations. After this period, however, the ministry will carry out an inspection campaign and repatriate those found in violation of the Labour Law and residency regulations, he stressed.
Meanwhile, Abdel Hadi said the Egyptian government understands Jordan’s situation and called on workers to abide by the Kingdom’s labour regulations.
“Jordan is a country with limited resources. We understand that Egyptians feel at home when they come to Jordan but we also understand that Jordan cannot absorb huge numbers of people,†she told reporters.
The Egyptian official added that she reached an agreement with officials at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) to apply the electronic network in ASEZA to minimise violations and forged work contracts.
Meanwhile, Omoush said a technical team from the ministry, headed by secretary general Mazen Odeh, will discuss with ASEZA means to address the migration of Egyptian workers between the economic zone and the rest of the Kingdom.
By Hani Hazaimeh
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