'Jordan hosts third largest number of refugees in the world’

URL: http://jordantimes.com/

Jordan Times, 16 Aug 2014

AMMAN — Jordan hosts the third largest number of refugees in the world, and the largest refugee community globally when compared with the population, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Saturday. Ensour noted that the direct cost of hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees on the Kingdom’s budget is estimated at $4 billion so far, and the waves of refugees are associated with other costs such as security. Refugees are also competing with Jordanians in the labour market, the premier said, adding that the Syrian crisis has also given rise to social problems such as the smuggling of drugs and weapons. He made the remarks at a press conference to talk about the 10-year economic blueprint being prepared by the government. “Jordan is bearing a huge cost and donors are offering only a small portion of this cost,” the premier said, explaining that 1.42 million Syrians are registered by name in Jordan. In addition, there are some 220,000 Iraqis and around 1.7 million Palestinian refugees, he noted. Despite the continuing influx of Syrians and pressure on financial and natural resources, the prime minister said Jordan will continue undertaking its humanitarian role and would never close its borders to people fleeing violence in their country. “The country is proud of hosting such large numbers of refugees,” Ensour told reporters. Official figures estimate that around 9 million people live in the Kingdom, including 6.5 million Jordanians. A recent UNHCR report said refugees from 44 nationalities currently reside in Jordan.