LACK OF DOCUMENTATION

Most Syrian refugees, just after entered Jordan to seek safety and asylum, have been directly brought to Jordanian refugee camps as Zaatari and Azraq Camp. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have irregularly left the premises of these camps: the bail-out procedure through which refugees could leave camps regularly was officially suspended in January 2015, pursuant to a governmental decision. Those who left without bail-out after July 2014 are not eligible to obtain legal documentation, namely the Ministry of Interior (MoI Card) Service Card and the UNHCR Asylum Seeker Certificate (UNHCR ASC).

According to figures shared by UNHCR in October 2017, only 398,530 out of the 655,558 Syrian refugees registered by UNHCR hold a valid MoI Card, while the remnant have not yet applied or are not willing or able to.

Without the two main pieces of legal documentation, refugees in Jordan are not able to obtain civil documentation (birth, marriage or death certificates) and work permits. At the same time, undocumented refugees have no or reduced access to public services and humanitarian assistance, and often have to revert to negative coping mechanisms as child labour, early marriage, debts and degrading housing conditions. Furthermore, they face a concrete risk of forcible relocation back to the camps or of deportation to Syria.