Improving the Wellbeing of Syrian Refugees in Urban Jordan

This is an output from a project that was part of the fifth Applied Research Fund (ARF) on mixed migration flows. The ARF is executed by NWO-WOTRO in close collaboration with the Platform. The call aims to strengthen the evidence-base for security and rule of law policies and programming, addressing the root causes, and the dynamics and consequences of mixed migration flows within and from fragile and conflict-affected settings.

While 20 per cent of Syrian refugees in Jordan reside in camps, the majority live elsewhere including in urban areas. Syrian refugees are experiencing high levels of insecurity, often due to challenges with legal status documentation. A lack of documentation limits refugees’ access to critical government and humanitarian services such as humanitarian aid, education, and health care, as well as their ability to participate in Jordan’s economy. This leads to high levels of anxiety, fear of arrest, and other wellbeing concerns amongst refugees. In order to counter this, non-governmental organisations, the United Nations, and the Government of Jordan should continue to support the regularisation of the status of all Syrians in Jordan, and ensure that they have access to adequate aid and services