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DE RUEHAM #0459/01 0491357
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181357Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4493
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1289
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6165
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 2992
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 3923
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0202
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 4082
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0176
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0049
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0133
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA 0704
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0135
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0308
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 2095
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1562
RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS AMMAN 000459 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, G-ACBLANK, INL, DRL, PRM, AND NEA/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG
KTIP 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: INPUT FOR THE NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN 
PERSONS REPORT 
 
REF: A. STATE 132759 
     ¶B. AMMAN 242 
     ¶C. AMMAN 230 
     ¶D. 08 AMMAN 3388 
     ¶E. 08 AMMAN 3171 
     ¶F. 08 AMMAN 2822 
     ¶G. 08 AMMAN 2671 
     ¶H. 08 AMMAN 2600 
     ¶I. 08 AMMAN 1859 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During the past year, Jordan demonstrated a 
strong commitment to and made steady progress on measures to 
combat trafficking-in-persons (TIP). Progress includes the 
passage of a comprehensive anti-TIP law, an increase in 
forced labor cases being investigated and sent forward for 
prosecution, the approval of a joint labor inspector and 
police TIP investigation unit, the further strengthening of 
the labor inspectorate, the creation of a Humanitarian and 
Legal Assistance Fund for victims, and the placement of 
agriculture and domestic workers under the Labor Law. 
Government of Jordan (GOJ) initiatives have already had some 
impact. For instance, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Jump 
Team found no evidence of forced labor conditions during 
visits to 25 QIZ factories from January 27 - February 4. 
 
¶2. (SBU) To build on the achievements of the past year, Post 
will work with the GOJ to focus attention on next steps. 
Adequate implementation of the new anti-TIP law will require 
the further development of TIP investigation capabilities and 
the training of judicial authorities, most of whom, are not 
familiar with the concept of TIP or how to criminally 
prosecute such cases. Other priority measures include the 
establishment of a shelter and victim services, development 
of formal victim identification procedures, raising awareness 
of trafficking, and completion of domestic worker and 
recruitment agency regulations. Post is exploring technical 
assistance avenues to assist the GOJ with these measures, 
including training of judges and prosecutors, and has 
developed plans to increase awareness of trafficking. End 
Summary 
 
Jordan's TIP Situation 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The following information is keyed to questions in 
reftel A with parenthetical references corresponding to 
reftel A paragraph and subheading: 
 
¶4. (U) (23/A) The GOJ, including the Ministry of Justice 
(MOJ), Ministry of Labor (MOL), and Public Security 
Department (PSD), does not keep readily accessible records of 
anti-trafficking investigations, prosecutions, or 
convictions. TIP cases are not delineated from overall 
criminal figures, making it difficult to obtain statistics. 
The MOL, MOJ, PSD, and other governmental bodies, however, 
are increasing efforts to understand and fight trafficking 
more effectively. These ministries readily share available 
information and are eager to cooperate. The government-funded 
National Center for Human Rights (NCHR) is actively involved 
in labor issues pertaining to foreign domestic workers (FDWs) 
and migrant factory workers and is a key source of 
information, as are a handful of international and local NGOs 
working on the issue. 
 
¶5. (U) (23/B&C) Women from South Asia and South East Asia, 
primarily Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Philippines, are 
recruited to work Jordan for the purpose of domestic labor. 
At the end of November 2008, 47,617 FDWs were registered with 
the MOL. FDWs continue to experience abuses such as unpaid 
wages, sexual assault and harassment, withholding of 
passports, verbal abuse, and other forms of mistreatment. At 
 
the end of 2008, officials reported housing more than 200 
runaway workers at the Philippine embassy, around 300 at the 
Indonesian one, and almost 100 at the Sri Lankan mission. 
According to these embassies, the vast majority of the 
runaways fled some form of forced labor. According to a 
UNIFEM and Friends of Women's Workers study published in 
2007, approximately 100 Sri Lankan women and 90 Filipinos run 
away each month, while 6 to 8 runaways seek refuge at the 
Indonesian Embassy each day. Diplomats from these countries 
corroborated the study's findings and continue to report 
similar numbers of runaways and trafficking victims. 
 
¶6. (U) (23/B&C) Men and women from South Asia and South East 
Asia are recruited to work in Jordan in the textile industry. 
These individuals work primarily in garment factories within 
the Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs). (Note: In 1996, 
Congress authorized the President to designate areas, known 
as QIZs, from which Egypt and Jordan can export products to 
the U.S. duty-free, as long as these products contain inputs 
from Israel and a combination of input from the QIZ, Jordan, 
the West/Bank Gaza, and the U.S. End Note) As of November 30, 
2008, the MOL reported 32,688 registered migrant workers 
working in 90 factories within the QIZs. There do not appear 
to be organized trafficking networks operating between Jordan 
and the home countries of migrant garment workers; however, 
factory workers have experienced conditions, which could be 
considered forced labor, such as delayed or unpaid wages and 
overtime, withholding of passports, and, in a few cases, 
verbal and physical abuse. Governmental and non-governmental 
organizations reported continued improvements in these areas 
due to enhanced labor inspection capacity and other GOJ 
measures. 
 
¶7. (U) (23/B) To a much lesser degree, Jordan may be a 
transit destination for trafficked men and women from South 
and South East Asia. Some contacts stated that women may 
transit Jordan en route to other Middle East countries, such 
as Syria, Egypt, or Iraq for the purpose of labor 
exploitation but little information exists on this practice. 
No Jordanians appear to be complicit in the trafficking of 
these women. The women reportedly possess valid transit visas 
and only enter Jordan's airports due to the routing of 
flights from the source to the destination countries. There 
were prior year reports of men brought to Jordan with the 
promise of employment within the country, only to be 
trafficked into Iraq. GOJ and NGO contacts did not have 
evidence of this occurring during reporting period. In 2005, 
the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of the Interior issued 
instructions to all border crossing authorities prohibiting 
foreign workers from transiting unless their sponsor 
accompanies them. Please see paragraph 57 for more 
information on transit visa regulations. 
 
¶8. (U) (23/B) NGO and police contacts reported that a few 
women from eastern European and northern Africa also enter 
Jordan for illicit purposes, but there is very little 
information available on the extent of any coercion, force, 
or fraud. 
 
¶9. (U) (23/D) Forced labor in Jordan is primarily limited to 
FDWs and, to a lesser and decreasing extent, factory workers 
in the QIZs. FDWs are particularly vulnerable to trafficking 
as they live and work in private homes and, according to 
activists, these unskilled foreign women are often viewed in 
society as third class citizens. 
 
¶10. (U) (23/E) Exploitation of FDWs begins with the 
recruiting agencies in source countries but continues with 
some receiving agencies in Jordan and with some Jordanian 
employers according to a range of contacts that follow or 
work on the issue. Some source country agencies exaggerate 
 
the FDWs' qualifications and issue illegal contracts or do 
not explain contract terms and work requirements properly. 
When she arrives in Jordan, the receiving agency is faced 
with the choice of repatriating the FDW - at a loss to the 
company - or hiring her out to Jordanian employers who expect 
a different skill set. When the employer complains and 
demands that the agency take the FDW back, many agencies 
reportedly will simply find another unsuspecting employer. 
The MOL has issued regulations prohibiting the transfer of 
workers from one sponsor to another under any circumstances, 
and Dr. Ahmed Al-Habahbeh, President of the Recruitment 
Agency Association (RAA), has stated that agencies no longer 
transfer workers in this manner. Some governmental officials 
and nongovernment observers, however, disagree and state the 
practice is still common because agencies make large profits 
by shuffling FDWs, charging each new employer the full cost 
of importing the worker. 
 
¶11. (U) (23/E) The MOL has drafted new regulations for 
recruitment agencies that will build on the existing 
regulations mentioned below and will allow for greater 
monitoring and enforcement of recruitment agency practices 
and the ability for labor inspectors to enter a home with 
court order, if permission is not given. The draft 
regulations also place far greater requirements on agency 
owners in order to operate, including a minimum of six 
employees, 120 square feet of office space, 100,000 JD (vice 
the current 50,000 JD) bank guarantee, 30,000 JD capital 
requirement, and the manager must hold a university degree. 
The MOL states that all these requirements are necessary for 
a legitimate recruitment agency to function properly and 
state that small, difficult to regulate agencies will be 
forced to close. In fact, Al-Habahbeh believes that only 10 
of 96 current agencies can meet these requirements. As of 
February 13, the regulations have been sent to Cabinet for 
approval. 
 
¶12. (U) (23/E) The current MOL regulations governing the 
recruitment of FDWs include: 
 
- Work permit fees must be paid for the worker before s/he 
arrives; 
- Worker must be accompanied by his/her original sponsor as 
soon as the worker enters the country; 
- Employers must pay the recruiting agency 10 percent of the 
total value of the contract's first year wages agreed upon by 
the sponsor and worker. The initial contract must not exceed 
24 months. If employer and employee agree on renewing the 
contract for another year, the agency must be paid two 
percent of the worker's wages for the duration of the 
contract; 
- The work permit fee must be paid in advance as soon as 
approval for the worker's recruitment is given; and, 
- The employer must prove sufficient income to adequately 
cover the workers salary. 
 
¶13. (U) (23/E) When exploitation takes place among QIZ 
workers, factory managers or production line supervisors in 
Jordan generally bear the most responsibility based on 
complaints and governmental and nongovernmental 
investigations. Some QIZ workers alleged that managers 
withheld their passports, delayed wages, delayed or did not 
fully pay for overtime and, in a few cases, verbally and 
physically abused employees. Additionally, some factories 
hire directly from source country recruitment agencies. In 
some of these cases, QIZ workers reported being issued 
contracts not representative of their actual employment or 
benefits or that full terms of their contract were not fully 
explained or understood. 
 
¶14. (U) (23/E) During the reporting period, allegations of 
 
labor violations in the QIZs decreased substantially from the 
previous year due to more rigorous MOL inspections, increased 
awareness, and improvements in factory working conditions. In 
fact, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Jump Team visited 25 
QIZ factories from January 27 - February 4 and found no 
evidence of forced labor conditions at any of the offices. 
The MOL operates 23 labor offices, of which 21 have an 
inspection function. In 2009, MOL plans to create seven to 
nine regional centers with 10 to 30 inspectors who will cover 
a particular area with the goal to provide a critical 
inspection mass and strengthen management capacity. The MOL 
also hired 60 new inspectors in 2008, making a total 
inspection force of 140. There are plans to hire an 
additional 25 inspectors in 2009. 
 
Setting the Scene: GOJ Anti-TIP Efforts 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶15. (U) (24/A) The GOJ publically acknowledges that 
trafficking is a problem and undertook several significant 
measures to fight trafficking during the reporting period, 
including passage of the anti-TIP law, increase in cases 
being investigated and forwarded for prosecution, approval of 
a joint labor inspector and police TIP investigation unit, 
further strengthening of the labor inspectorate, creation of 
a Humanitarian and Legal Assistance Fund for victims, and 
placement of agriculture and domestic workers under the Labor 
Law. 
 
¶16. (U) (24/B) Inter-ministerial TIP coordination improved 
over the past year and is expected to be further strengthened 
with the establishment of a National Committee for the 
Prevention of Human Trafficking (national committee) as 
dictated in the new anti-TIP Law endorsed by the Lower House 
of Parliament in January and by the Upper House of Parliament 
on February 4 (and discussed below). The national committee 
is to be chaired by the Minister of Justice and include 
representatives of the MOL, PSD, Ministry of Interior (MOI), 
National Center for Human Rights (NCHR), National Council for 
Family Affairs (NCFA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), 
Ministry of Social Development (MOSD), Ministry of Industry 
and Trade (MOIT), and Ministry of Health (MOH). The national 
committee will replace the ministerial-level committee formed 
in September 2008 (ref E), chaired by the Minister of 
Interior. (Note: A working-level inter-ministerial committee, 
led by MOL, preceded the ministerial committee. End Note). 
The MOL contin 
ues to be a lead agency on a number of initiatives including 
by-laws governing domestic workers under the labor law, 
recruitment agency regulations, and enhancing labor 
inspections and enforcement. The PSD and MOL are also 
cooperating on the formation of a joint TIP investigation 
unit (para 18). 
 
¶17. (U) (24/B) The MOL maintains a directorate for foreign 
domestic workers. This office's mission is to control and 
monitor all FDW issues, including licensing of recruiting 
agencies and investigating reports of abuse. The directorate 
also operates a hotline that received and resolved complaints 
throughout the year. The directorate's mission is not being 
fully met, primarily due to capacity constraints according to 
local civil society organizations; however, the local NGO, 
Friends of Women Workers, with a grant from UNIFEM has 
trained directorate staff on human rights laws and 
conventions and plans to provide needed equipment and a 
consultant to further build capacity. 
 
¶18. (U) (24/C) The GOJ continues to face financial and human 
resource constraints on its ability to introduce and 
implement anti-trafficking efforts, such as awareness 
raising, investigation and prosecution capacity, and 
 
assistance to victims according to both governmental and 
nongovernmental officials. Additionally, Jordan's society 
traditionally tends to prefer to resolve domestic issues 
within the family. The most egregious of the abuses that some 
FDWs workers suffer - physical and sexual assault - are 
crimes that often go unreported according to activists and 
nongovernmental organizations dealing with women's rights 
and/or domestic workers.  Factors such as language and 
cultural barriers also hamper the reporting of these crimes. 
 
¶19. (U) (24/D) The GOJ currently does not have a systematic 
methodology or mechanism of monitoring and reporting on its 
anti-trafficking efforts, although ongoing efforts are 
expected to address this issue and improve coordination and 
information sharing between government agencies. The national 
committee mandated in the new anti-TIP Law is tasked with 
coordinating all official and nonofficial parties working to 
prevent trafficking. Additionally, a TIP investigation unit, 
covering both factory and domestic workers, has been 
approved. This unit will marry the investigation capabilities 
of both labor inspectors and the police. The unit is designed 
to increase the number of cases going to court and will allow 
for the better monitoring of investigation and prosecution 
efforts. MOL and PSD staff just completed a training trip to 
Italy to learn from their joint Carabinieri-inspector force, 
and Canada has pledged funding, through the ILO, to support 
the unit's establishment. 
 
Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶20. (U) (25/A) An anti-TIP Law was endorsed by the Lower 
House of Parliament on January 25 and by the Upper House on 
February 4. The law is moving forward for the King's 
signature and would go into full effect 90 days after 
publication in Jordan's official gazette. The law covers 
sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, and other 
trafficking practices. "Crimes of TIP" are defined in the law 
as the recruitment, transportation, and harboring of 
individual(s) by means of the threat or use of force or other 
forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of 
power for the purpose of exploitation. In addition to 
defining punishments, the law establishes the national 
committee (to replace a current inter-Ministerial committee), 
provides for legal protection of victims, and states that one 
or more shelters may be created based on the committee's 
recommendation. 
 
¶21. (U) (25/A) The new anti-TIP law stipulates a punishment 
of up to ten years in prison with hard labor for the follow 
offenses: 
 
- If the person trafficked is under 18 years of age; 
- If the person has established, organized, or managed an 
organized criminal group for human trafficking; 
- If the victims include females or persons with 
disabilities; 
- If the crime involves exploitation in prostitution, any 
other form of sexual exploitation, or organ removal; 
- If the act is committed by threat or use of a weapon; 
- If the crime causes the victim to suffer chronic incurable 
disease; 
- If the person is a relative of the victim; 
- If the person is a public official and committed the by 
abusing his/her office; 
- If the crime is transnational in nature. 
 
¶22. (U) (25/A) Other human trafficking crimes receive a 
punishment of at least six months and/or a fine of not less 
than $1,400 (1,000 JD) and not more than $7,000 (5,000 JD). 
The law also stipulates a minimum sentence of six months for 
 
any person who knew about the crime by virtue of his/her job 
and did not notify officials. Any person who hid or disposed 
of evidence shall be imprisoned for no more than on one year 
or receive a fine of not less than $280 (200 JD) and not more 
than $1,400 (1,000 JD). The national committee is also given 
the authority to close businesses for human trafficking 
crimes and confiscate related profits. The law does not 
prevent the application of stiffer penalties in trafficking 
cases. 
 
¶23. (U) (25/A) In July 2008, the labor law was amended to 
include domestic and agricultural workers. As a result, 
Jordan essentially has a single Labor Law for all people 
regardless of nationality or type of work. The MOL has 
drafted the by-laws for domestic workers that would codify 
specific standards, such as wages, work contract norms, rest 
periods, and working hours. At the beginning of February, the 
MOL was consulting with women civil society organizations 
before seeking cabinet's approval. Fines for failure to 
comply with the Labor Law were also increased from $140 - 
$700 (100-500 JD) to $420 - $700 (300-500 JD). 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, fines are doubled. 
 
¶24. (U) (25/A) In addition to the anti-TIP law and labor law, 
other legislation can be invoked to prosecute and punish 
trafficking and related crimes. Under the Passport Law of 
2003, anyone found in possession of a passport not their own 
is subject to imprisonment of 6 months to 3 years, and/or 
fines of $700-$1,400 (500-1000 JD). A range of penal code 
articles, such as those pertaining to murder, rape, sexual 
assault, kidnapping, can also be used to prosecute offenders 
depending on the circumstance of the case. 
 
¶25. (U) (25/B) The anti-TIP law covers sex trafficking. 
Please see paragraphs 20 and 21 for penalties under this law. 
 
¶26. (U) (25/C) The anti-TIP law covers forced labor as well 
as labor recruiters and agents, who commit trafficking 
offenses. Please see paragraphs 20 and 21 for penalties under 
this law. As mentioned in paras 22 and 23, criminal penalties 
also exist in the Labor Law and Passport Law regarding 
confiscation of travel documents. 
 
¶27. (U) (25/D) Jordanian law provides for the death penalty 
for the rape of a girl less than 15 years of age. The penalty 
for rape of a girl or woman 15 years of age or older is not 
less than ten years imprisonment with hard labor. 
 
¶28. (U) (25/E) The GOJ, including the MOJ, MOL, and PSD, does 
not currently produce or maintain statistics on trafficking 
investigations, prosecutions, and convictions. Officials from 
the relevant bodies have indicated that this may change, 
though, with the passage of the new anti-TIP law. The PSD, 
for instance, reported the investigation of cases involving 
the sexual abuse of migrant workers, although these cases are 
calculated in overall sex crime numbers and not delineated. 
 
¶29. (U) (25/E) Regardless of the lack of overall statistics, 
the GOJ took active steps during the reporting period to 
investigate and prosecute trafficking-related cases. A 
working-level inter-ministerial committee, led by the MOL, 
investigated 19 trafficking cases involving both domestic and 
QIZ workers. The MOL reported that, of February 1, ten cases 
were with various judicial authorities for prosecution and 
nine cases were resolved administratively without 
prosecution. The MOL is also forming a joint committee with 
the Filipino Embassy to review, on a case-by-case basis, the 
 
situation of 162 workers after the Filipino Ambassador asked 
for MOL assistance to repatriate them. MOL representatives 
state that this review could result in new prosecutions. 
 
¶30. (U) (25/E) The PSD increased its TIP investigation 
capability by creating a Human Trafficking Office as part of 
their Prostitution Unit. In late 2008, the office 
investigated the forced prostitution of two Tunisian women 
and detained the trafficker. The PSD also actively 
participated with the MOL in planning for the TIP inspection 
unit. 
 
¶31. (U) (25/E) The MOL continued to strengthen its 
investigation and punishment of labor abuses in QIZs through 
enhanced inspection capacity. In 2008, MOL inspectors 
conducted 2,334 visits of QIZ factories and, in the process, 
issued 1,651 fines for various labor violations. The MOL, 
with assistance from the Better Work Program (para 34), plans 
to computerize inspectorate records, which will enable the 
provision of statistics based on the type of violation. The 
MOL also closed two factories in 2008 for labor violations 
and ensured that workers were either transferred to another 
factory or repatriated depending on the wish of the worker. 
The "Cotton Craft" factory in Al-Tajamouat QIZ and the 
"Concord" factory in Cyber City Industrial Park were closed 
after repeated violations, including non-payment of wages, 
non-payment of overtime, physical abuse, and holding of 
travel documents. 
 
¶32. (U) (25/E) The MOL also investigated and punished 
recruitment agencies for labor violations. In 2008, the MOL 
closed seven recruitment agencies and warned another ten 
about violations, including not following regulations or 
legal procedures, not paying workers, and hiring out sick or 
unqualified workers. The MOL also temporarily suspended 
recruitment agency operations on 74 different occasions, 
ranging from days to weeks. 
 
¶33. (U) (25/E) Additionally, 75 municipal employees in Karak 
were charged on October 9, 2008, with abuse of position, 
negligence, complicity in theft, and forging administrative 
stamps after numerous migrant domestic workers were found not 
to have appropriate work permits. 
 
¶34. (U) (25/F) Government officials receive specialized 
training on how to recognize and investigate instances of 
trafficking throughout the year. Anti-trafficking training is 
a part of the police academy's law enforcement curriculum and 
the training program for labor inspectors. (Note: The 
inspector training was developed with the ILO through USG 
funding. End Note) In June 2008, two individuals went on the 
Department of State-sponsored International Visitor Program 
for TIP: Dr. Amin Wreidat, Head of the MOL's Labor 
Inspectorate Division, and Atef Majali from the National 
Center on Human Rights. 
 
¶35. (U) (25/F) The GOJ, ILO, and IFC launched the Better Work 
Jordan in February 2008 to improve labor compliance in 
Jordan's QIZs, provide training to factory managers and 
workers, and strengthen the existing tripartite dialogue. A 
component of the program will develop procedures to improve 
the inspectorate's efforts to combat trafficking identified 
by the project. USAID is contributing $2.7 million over five 
years to the project. 
 
¶36. (SBU) (25/G) Despite MOUs with source countries, no 
formal cooperation with other governments in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases was 
reported, except for the recent cooperation with the Filipino 
embassy to review cases of 162 FDWs. Many of the exploited 
FDWs do not feel comfortable turning to Jordanian authorities 
 
and instead report the abuses to their embassies, according 
to embassy officials and activists. The embassies 
subsequently dealt with each FDW on a case-by-case basis. 
Source country embassy representatives admit they advise FDWs 
not to pursue lengthy and costly trials but instead help them 
find new employment or be repatriated. A wide range of public 
and private interlocutors often raise accusations that 
foreign source country diplomats profited by brokering jobs 
for workers seeking refuge at their embassies or by owning 
shares in the factories operating in the QIZs. 
 
¶37. (U) (25/H) Jordan does not have an extradition treaty 
with the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, China, 
India, Bangladesh, or the U.S. 
 
¶38. (U) (25/I) No evidence exists of government involvement 
in, or tolerance of, trafficking. 
 
¶39. (U) (25/J) Not Applicable 
 
¶40. (U) (25/K) Prostitution is illegal. All involved parties 
- prostitute, brothel owner, client, and procurer - are 
subject to prosecution for engaging in or supporting 
prostitution. An anti-prostitution office in the PSD is 
tasked with investigating and enforcing this aspect of the 
law. 
 
¶41. (U) (25/L) Jordan provides substantial numbers of armed 
forces and police officers to peacekeeping efforts worldwide. 
There are no reported allegations by governmental or 
nongovernmental authorities that Jordanian forces take part 
in trafficking activities during the course of their 
assignments. 
 
¶42. (U) (25/M) No evidence exists of child sex tourism in 
Jordan according to governmental and nongovernmental 
officials. 
 
Protection and Assistance to Victims 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶43. (U) (26/A) Under MOL regulations, migrant workers cannot 
change employers without approval; however, the MOL and MOI 
showed flexibility in allowing abused workers to change 
employers or return home. Victims who wished to return to 
their country of origin applied through either the MOL or the 
NCHR for waiver of overstay fines from the MOI. 
 
¶44. (U) (26/B) The government does not currently maintain 
shelters for victims of trafficking; however, Article 7 of 
the new anti-TIP law states that one or more shelters may be 
established based on a recommendation by the national 
committee. In 2008, the MOSD-funded shelter for abused women, 
Dar Al Wafaq, housed approximately 10 sexually assaulted FDWs 
after referral by the PSD's Family Protection Department 
(FPD). In addition, the Jordanian Women's Union, which also 
runs a domestic violence shelter, allowed some FDWs to stay 
temporarily. The Indonesian, Filipino, and Sri Lankan 
embassies maintained basic shelter facilities for runaway 
FDWs. At the end of January, the Filipino embassy reportedly 
was housing over 200 FDWs, the Indonesian approximately 300, 
and the Sri Lankan nearly 100. Local activists, including one 
that visits domestic workers in jail and works for the 
release, state that the government has placed some sexual 
assault victims in "protective custody" in correctional 
facilities to protect them from their previous employer. 
 
¶45. (U) (26/C) The FPD, with Dar Al-Wafaq, has provided 
psychological and medical services to a handful of sexually 
abused FDWs. The MOL created a Humanitarian and Legal 
Assistance Fund in July 2008 to help ensure trafficked 
 
victims receive needed assistance (para 65). The NCHR, which 
receives a block grant from the GOJ, provides legal and other 
services to FDW and QIZ workers. For instance, NCHR helps 
victims gain receipt of confiscated documents and payment of 
unpaid wages. The GOJ has offered non-financial support to 
organizations such as UNIFEM and the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), both of which are pursuing 
programming to prevent trafficking and to support victims. 
 
¶46. (U) (26/D) The GOJ showed flexibility in allowing 
trafficking victims, many of whom seek refuge at their 
country's embassy, to remain in-country by changing employers 
or return home. Employers, however, often report runaways to 
the PSD, which sometimes results in the issuance of a 
deportation order. Despite the MOI waiving overstay fines for 
many abused workers, those workers who are accused by their 
employers of wrongdoing and are unable to pay their overstay 
fines may be imprisoned until their fines are paid or 
arrangements are made for repatriation. 
 
¶47. (U) (26/E) The GOJ currently does not operate a long-term 
shelter for victims of trafficking; however, Article 7 of the 
anti-TIP law states that one or more shelters may be 
established. 
 
¶48. (U) (26/F) Sexually assaulted FDWs are occasionally 
referred to the FPD by other government authorities. The 
FPD's trained personnel are able to interview the FDW, obtain 
forensic evidence, and provide social services. The FPD can 
then refer the FDW to Dar al Wafaq, who housed approximately 
10 FDWs during 2008. The FPD and Dar al Wafaq do not assist 
physically or verbally abused FDWS. There is no other 
official referral process. 
 
¶49. (U) (26/G) The GOJ does not calculate or maintain 
statistics related to the number of trafficking victims. The 
MOL, NCHR, and textile union each receive labor complaints 
from QIZ workers but not all complaints received are forced 
labor-in-nature. The MOL hotline, manned by speakers of 
Hindi, Bangala, Sinhalese, Tagalog, and Bahasa Indonesian, 
received 535 complaints during the year. (Note: While the 
vast majority of complaints to the hotline are from QIZ 
workers, workers in other sectors may also call. End Note) 
Most complaints involved poor dormitory conditions, 
non-payment or delayed payment of wages, mistreatment by 
management, or confiscation of passports. Additionally, the 
GOJ placed locked suggestion boxes in all factories where 
workers could submit complaints anonymously. A representative 
from the Ministry of Labor has the only key to the boxes. The 
textile union reported 1,776 individual complaints and 69 
group complaints involving 4,603 QIZ workers during 2008. 
(Note: Complaints are not delineated by Jordanian or migrant 
QIZ worker but Fattala Omrani, Head of the Textile Union, who 
personally works on resolving complaints, reports the vast 
majority involve migrant workers. End Note). 
 
¶50. (U) (26/G) The extent of the trafficking problem among 
domestic workers is reflected in the nearly 600 FDWs 
currently housed in source country embassy shelters. Not all 
runaway FDWs are fleeing forced labor conditions, but source 
country embassies and local NGOs report that many are and 
that the number is not decreasing. In January 2008, the 
Philippine Overseas Labor Employment Agency, citing "the 
growing number of distressed Filipino workers being housed" 
in their center in Amman, temporarily barred new Filipino 
workers from seeking employment in Jordan. Despite ongoing 
attempts to reach a new agreement with the GOJ on the 
recruitment and employment of their citizens, the Philippine 
government had not agreed to lift the ban by the time of this 
report. 
 
¶51. (U) (26/H) The PSD, MOI, and MOSD do not use a formal 
mechanism to identify possible victims of trafficking; 
however some government officials received victim 
identification training (para 53). 
 
¶52. (U) (26/I) The FPD operates professionally, but the same 
may not always be true of local police stations. In cases 
where FDWs run away from their employers or approach 
authorities to claim abuse or protest salary withholdings, 
activists, source country embassies, and NGOs state that the 
employer will often accuse an FDW of theft. If charges are 
filed against an FDW, she will be arrested and detained. If 
an FDW does not have a residency permit, she will be fined 
$2.12 for each day that she is out of status. In many cases, 
this fine accumulates into an amount that FDWs are incapable 
of paying, effectively preventing them from leaving Jordan. 
However, the MOI frequently continued to waive these fines in 
order to permit FDWs to return to their countries. 
 
¶53. (U) (26/J) The government does not actively encourage 
victims to pursue an investigation or prosecution of the 
offense. Victims may bring civil suits against employers 
under civil law, though not under the labor law. For suits 
greater than $4,200 (3,000 JD), the plaintiff must have a 
lawyer. The government does not provide lawyers for victims 
to pursue civil claims; however, MOL officials state that the 
Humanitarian and Assistance Fund established in July 2008 
could be used to pay for legal assistance on behalf of the 
victims. Victims must appear when summoned during their court 
case and are technically not allowed to obtain other 
employment; however, MOL and MOL showed flexibility in 
generally allowing abused FDWs to seek other employment. As 
FDWs most often lack the means to or are discouraged from 
filing complaints or pressing charges, some embassies have 
hired lawyers to represent their citizens. 
 
¶54. (U) (26/K) GOJ officials received training on TIP, 
including victim identification, throughout the reporting 
period. The G/TIP-funded and ILO-managed Project to Combat 
Force Labor and Trafficking conducted the following trainings 
in 2008: 1) February 6-7 workshop with thirty judges, 
prosecutors, and lawyers; 2) March 18-19 meetings with 40 
CEOs of QIZ factories; 3) April 19-20 training of 18 members 
of the inter-ministerial anti-TIP committee; 4) July 27-29 
training of labor inspectors, police officers, and 
prosecutors; 5) September 8-10 training of labor inspectors. 
The MOL reports that all of the above trainings contained 
sessions on victim identification. IOM is also arranging a 
two-day workshop on trafficking and victim identification for 
March. An EU-funded Border Management project also includes 
aspects of victim identification in their trainings. 
 
¶55. (U) (26/L) There were no reports of Jordanians trafficked 
by either governmental or non-governmental sources. 
 
¶56. (U) (26/M) The relationship between government officials, 
NGOs, and other elements of civil society on trafficking 
remains positive and productive according to civil society 
and government officials. The Prime Minister, relevant 
ministers, and other senior level officials express their 
commitment to combating trafficking and have requested civil 
society input on many of the initiatives outlined in the 
report. The GOJ also relies on several international and 
local NGOs to provide anti-trafficking training, develop 
capacity, and raise awareness of the issue. Some NGOs, 
however, have asserted that most GOJ working-level officials 
are either ignorant or indifferent to the issue. Conversely, 
and fueled by numerous international reports from 
organizations like the National Labor Committee, Amnesty 
International, and Human Rights Watch, some GOJ officials 
voice concern that NGOs overstate the problem and do not give 
 
adequate credit for efforts undertaken. 
 
¶57. (U) (26/M) UNIFEM has worked closely with the GOJ and 
with local NGOs on women's rights issues, specifically FDWs. 
However, UNIFEM states that their level of activity was 
decreased in 2008 due to significant staff turnover. In past 
years, UNIFEM guided the process to standardize the FDW work 
contract and to produce the FDW guidebook. The local NGO, 
Friends of Women Workers (FWW), is trying to raise awareness 
of trafficking, including through SMS messages, radio spots, 
and print media. FWW is also developing a training program 
for FWDs and supporting the MOL domestic worker department. 
IOM's Jordan office continues to provide training 
opportunities for government officials. In April 2008, the 
Adeleh Center for Human Rights Studies, the NCHR, the MOL, 
and recruiting agencies conducted a two-day workshop for more 
than 20 recruiting agencies to raise awareness on right of 
domestic workers. 
 
Prevention 
---------- 
 
¶58. (U) (27/A) The MOL collaborated with local NGOs during 
the reporting period to increase awareness of trafficking of 
FDWs. The awareness campaign included ads on billboards, in 
the press and on the radio. The G/TIP-funded Forced Labor 
Program, in coordination with the MOL and the General 
Federation of Trade Unions, conducted workshops with QIZ 
workers to discuss migrant worker rights. 
 
¶59. (U) (27/B) The GOJ controls and monitors immigration 
patterns, though governmental and nongovernmental contacts 
state it is for other purposes, such as security, than as an 
explicit anti-trafficking effort. The GOJ requires that 
nationals of most migrant worker source countries, such as 
the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, may enter Jordan 
only after approval from the MOI. Jordanian embassies in 
those countries also do not issue visas without MOI approval, 
and each case is individually evaluated. Nationals of these 
countries cannot obtain transit visas for Jordan unless they 
possess a visa for the destination country. Even then, they 
may not enter Jordan for the purpose of transiting to 
neighboring countries. Tourist visas for groups of nationals 
of restricted countries are not issued except through 
accredited Jordanian tourist offices. All foreigners coming 
to work in Jordan need prior approval from the MOL, and 
receive that approval only after the work permit is paid by 
the sponsoring employer. 
 
¶60. (U) (27/C) The national committee (para 15), among other 
things, is tasked with creating a plan to prevent 
trafficking, issuing a national guide, reviewing related 
legislation, and coordinating all official and nonofficial 
parties working to prevent trafficking. The law states that 
one or more sub-committees may be formed. Prior to the 
national committee, in September 2008, an inter-ministerial 
anti-trafficking committee was formed, comprising the 
ministers of Interior, Labor, Justice, Industry and Trade, 
Social Development, Health, and the NCHR. This committee made 
the anti-TIP law a priority. Prior to September 2008, the MOL 
Secretary General chaired an interagency task force to 
coordinate efforts, share information, and operationalize 
anti-TIP policy. 
 
¶61. (U) (27/D) Currently, no comprehensive national plan of 
action to address trafficking exists; however, the anti-TIP 
law calls for the creation of a plan to prevent trafficking. 
 
¶62. (U) (27/E) Very little information exists about the 
prevalence of commercial sex in this conservative society. 
No public efforts to reduce demand have been made. 
 
 
¶63. (U) (27/F) No public efforts to reduce international sex 
tourism by Jordanians have been made. No information exists 
about the prevalence of international sex tourism by 
Jordanians. 
 
¶64. (U) (27/G) The Public Security Directorate, which sends 
thousand of officers each year to participate in 
international peacekeeping efforts, provides an 
anti-trafficking training module as part of their standard 
training regimen. 
 
TIP Heroes 
---------- 
 
¶65. (U) Ms. Aida Abu Ras has demonstrated an exceptional 
commitment to fight trafficking of FDWs in Jordan. She has 
advocated for women and FDW rights as a Program Manager at 
the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW). With 
support of a DRL grant, Abu Ras founded in 2003 the NGO 
"Friends of Women's Workers" (FWW), in addition to continuing 
her full-time work at JNCW. Abu Ras has worked tirelessly to 
raise awareness of the plight of many FDWs and teach 
Jordanians how FDWs should be treated. FWW's awareness 
raising includes over 10,000 SMS messages to Jordanians on 
the treatment of FDWs and radio and print media campaigns. 
FWW is now developing a training program for FDWs and is 
working with the GOJ, primarily the MOL, to build their 
understanding and capacity of the issue. 
 
Best Practices 
-------------- 
 
¶66. (U) In July, the MOL completed the establishment of a 
Humanitarian and Legal Assistance Fund to provide financial 
support to victims of trafficking-related offenses. 
Approximately $336,000 (240,000 JD) was deposited into the 
fund by employers paying $60 (43 JD) 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. The fund was used to pay for the 
repatriations of 38 Bangladeshi migrant workers 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. The fund was a 
creative way to regularize workers, punish employers for not 
renewing residency permits and establish an assistance 
mechanism at the same time (ref E). 
 
Embassy Point of Contact 
------------------------ 
 
¶67. (U) Embassy point of contact on trafficking-in-persons is 
Political Officer Garret Harries, phone number 
962-6-590-6597, fax number 962-6-592-0159. The AMB (FE-OC) 
spent approximately an hour reviewing the report; DCM (FE-MC) 
spent approximately an hour reviewing the report; Political 
Counselor (FS-02) spent 3 hours reviewing and editing the 
report; Economic Officer (FS-03) spent 3 hours editing the 
report; USAID officer (FS-04) spent 2 hours editing the 
report. Political Officer (FS-04) spent 48 hours preparing 
the report, and LES Political Analyst spent 25 hours 
preparing the report. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
Beecroft