The article depicts the current economic
troubles that are now facing Jordanians due to the prolonged conflict
in Syria. Since the start of the Syrian civil war, more than 500,000
Syrians have fled to Jordan in hope to escape the fighting. What
initially started as an open welcome to the Syrians, has now turned
into its own crisis.
The majority of Syrians
coming into Jordan are from rural areas and considered low-skilled
workers. The low-skilled labor force has risen dramatically with some
working illegally for extremely cheap. Many Jordanians are now losing
work and are openly blaming the Syrians as the reason. It is to the
point where Jordanians are considering “taking matters in our own
hands.” The country is becoming over-saturated with workers and
people with little hope of change. With people getting angrier and an
apparent lack direction from the government, hostilities may rise.
I find it surprising that
Jordan did not have a more prepared approach to the refugee problem
with their past of helping both Palestinian and Iraqi refugees.
Perhaps the issue is the sheer volume and duration of this conflict
has left them unprepared. It would be unfortunate to see the Syrians
who were trying to escape a conflict walk straight into another one.
Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-jordan-tensions-rise-between-syrian-refugees-and-host-community/2013/04/21/d4f5fa24-a762-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story_1.html
No comments:
Post a Comment