VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #3171/01 3280624
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230624Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3869
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6115
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0187
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 4015
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0156
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0040
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0125
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0119
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0296
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1411

UNCLAS AMMAN 003171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/RA, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN IZ IS SY ID
CE, RP, IN, VM, BG, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 2822 
     ¶B. AMMAN 1917 
     ¶C. AMMAN 2206 
     ¶D. AMMAN 261 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Over the past six months, Jordan made 
steady progress on measures to combat trafficking-in-persons. 
Progress includes an increase in trafficking-related cases 
being tried, the approval of a joint labor inspector and 
police investigation unit, the creation of a Humanitarian and 
Legal Assistance Fund for victims, and the placement of 
agriculture and domestic workers under the Labor Law. Ongoing 
initiatives, such as efforts toward the passage of an 
anti-TIP Law and a government-funded shelter, are still 
underway with Post actively engaging officials at all levels. 
Victim identification procedures and a shelter still need to 
be established but are required under a draft anti-TIP law 
the GOJ has indicated it intends to send to Parliament in the 
current session. End Summary. 
 
New Prosecutions of Trafficking-related Offenses 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The GOJ has taken active steps to prosecute 
trafficking-related cases. Kwala Al-Hassan, Qualifying 
Industrial Zone Adviser to the Minister of Labor (MOL), told 
Poloffs on November 13 that 19 cases involving 
trafficking-related conditions have been investigated and 
forwarded for prosecution in the last six months. All cases 
are in the court system and involve both domestic and QIZ 
workers. Al-Hassan also reported that 75 municipal employees 
in Karak were charged on October 9 with abuse of position, 
negligence, complicity in theft, and forging administrative 
stamps after numerous migrant domestic workers were found not 
to have the right work permits. (Comment:  While the 
government previously closed private businesses for labor 
violations, this action indicates a willingness to take 
action against government officials infringing labor laws. It 
also reflects the government's seriousness towards protecting 
the rights of foreign workers.  End Comment.)  Additionally, 
Atef Al-Majali, head of the Labor Unit in the National Center 
for Human Rights (NCHR), reported to Poloff on November 16 
that the Center forwarded ten cases to the courts asking for 
the return of domestic workers' confiscated passports. In 
each case Al-Majali reported that the courts ordered the 
passports to be returned. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) To further increase the number of cases going to 
court, the Cabinet approved the creation of a joint labor 
inspector and police unit within the MOL. The unit is tasked 
with investigating the situation of both migrant QIZ workers 
and domestic workers. The International Labor Organization 
(ILO) will provide assistance to operationalize the unit and, 
as a first step, will send a Jordanian team to Italy in 
December for training with experienced police and labor 
investigators. 
 
Anti-TIP Law Priority, Identification and Shelter Discussed 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The GOJ has repeatedly reiterated to Post that the 
passage of a comprehensive anti-TIP Law continues to be a top 
short-term priority and that they plan to submit the law to 
parliament in the current session, which is expected to run 
at least until January 31, 2009 (Ref A). (Note: Once 
submitted, Parliament can introduce amendments to the law or 
delay action if it considers other pending legislation to be 
more important or if technical aspects require examination. 
(Ref B) End Note) On November 13, the inter-Ministerial Labor 
and Trafficking-in-Persons Committee, comprised of the 
Ministers of Interior, Labor, Trade, Justice, Social 
Development, and Health, met to discuss the draft anti-TIP 
Law prepared by an inter-ministerial working group using 
Bahrain's and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) laws as a 
basis. (Note: Post provided MOL and NCHR the UAE law and a 
model TIP law based on Ambassador Lagon's recommendation of 
these laws to the GOJ during his September visit. End Note.) 
According to Lejo Sibbel, USAID-funded Adviser to the 
Minister of Labor, and Al-Majali, both members of the 
drafting committee, the ministers felt the law was close to 
completion but wanted the working group to refine a few 
clauses. In a November 12 conversation with Poloff, Sibbel 
said that while focus is primarily on drafting a good 
anti-TIP law, other key anti-TIP measures, such as formal 
victim identification procedures and a shelter for victims, 
are being discussed inter-ministerially and effort is being 
made to include them as requirements under the law. 
 
Humanitarian and Legal Assistance Fund Created 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (SBU) The MOL has established a Humanitarian and Legal 
Assistance Fund to provide financial support to victims of 
trafficking-related offenses.  Approximately 240,000 JD 
($336,000) was deposited into the fund by employers paying 43 
JD ($60) per employee to legalize workers with expired 
residency or work permits during a March to July 2008 amnesty 
period.  In addition to providing humanitarian assistance 
such as food, housing, and repatriation tickets, the fund can 
also be used to pay the legal fees for victims filing 
criminal or libel cases against their employers. Sibbel told 
Poloff that the fund recently paid for the repatriations of 
38 migrant workers from Bangladesh when their factory closed 
without notice, leaving them without final salary payments 
and airline tickets. The fund is also paying for a lawyer to 
take their case to court. 
 
Significant Development: Labor Law Amendments 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Agriculture and domestic workers are now fully 
covered under the Labor Law after Parliament passed four key 
amendments in July (Ref C). As a result, Jordan essentially 
has a single Labor Law for all people regardless of 
nationality or type of work. According to Sibbel, regulations 
that will codify specific standards, such as wages, work 
contract norms, rest periods, inspection practices, and 
working hours, are near completion. Sibbel noted that the 
regulations will allow inspectors to enter households for the 
first time, but either the household's permission or a court 
order will first be required. Fines for failure to comply 
with the Labor Law were also increased from JD 100-500 ($140 
- $700) to JD 300-500 ($420 - $700). If an employer forces, 
threatens or coerces someone to work (including withholding 
their passports), the offender faces a fine of $700 - $1,400 
(JD 500-1000). Anyone peripherally involved in the case can 
also be punished under the same law. If the offender repeats 
the violations, fi 
nes are doubled. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: The GOJ has strongly stated that fighting 
TIP is a top priority and has signaled its commitment by 
making progress on several key fronts. The elevation of the 
anti-TIP inter-ministerial committee to the ministerial level 
and the formation of three sub-committees charged with moving 
the anti-TIP agenda forward quickly were positive steps 
towards achieving the established goals. Changes to the labor 
law, approval of a joint labor inspector and police unit, 
creation of a humanitarian and legal assistance fund, and 
increasing number of cases sent to court are key developments 
in the past six months and are representative of the 
government's anti-TIP commitment. Post actively engages the 
GOJ and Parliament at all levels on TIP and continues to 
press for measures not yet completed, especially the passage 
of an anti-TIP law. Post formed an inter-Embassy 
anti-trafficking committee to coordinate engagement across 
sections and agencies and to examine methods of assisting GOJ 
efforts. Post will continue to monitor TIP progress and 
provide updates. End Comment. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
Beecroft