A Synopsis of the Jordanian Governance System in the Management of the Syrian Refugee Crisis

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe number of refugees all over the world has steadily increased – reaching around 65.6 million by the end of 2017 – which requires that international laws legalize and institutionalize their existence, define the roles and responsibilities of receiving states, and ensure sufficient humanitarian, social and economic support for vulnerable forcibly displaced people (UNHCR 2017). Yet, receiving states are varied in their legal maneuvers, institutional schemes and polices approaches to handle the sudden inflow of refugees. This article reviews key legal bases for dealing with the influx of Syrian refugees in Jordan. It outlines an institutional framework for managing the sudden influx of refugees by considering the main entities that share the responsibility for managing humanitarian entrants. This paper describes the Jordanian policies used to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis. It also discusses the conditions that led to the formulation of these policies, and triggered the acceptance of the refugee policies in the national framework aimed at alleviating refugees’ suffering and softening the repercussions of their entry on host communities.