The Azraq Centre for Employment, set up with the help of the government of Jordan and sponsored by the Dutch government, facilitates access to work permits for refugees who have not received one. Once issued, UNHCR will record the work permit in a database linked to the Jordanian authorities, helping the refugees move in and out of the camp. Refugees securing these work permits will be able to leave the camp for up to one month at a time.

The new system will provide refugees with increased protection and allow them to take up job opportunities anywhere in the country, within specified sectors, while the facility will also provide refugees with counselling services, information on labour rights, training opportunities and job matching services.

The new job facility will support the implementation of the Jordan Compact, which aims to create 200,000 jobs for Syrian refugees in the country. Since the Compact came into force in 2016, the Ministry of Labour has issued more than 87,000 work permits for Syrians in Jordan, with most employed in agriculture and construction sectors. 

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