Syrian Refugees In Jordan Research Articles

Perceptions About the Labor Market Integration of Refugees: Evidences from Syrian Refugees in Jordan

This article focuses on the refugees’ labor market integration in the immediate host countries. Drawing from the experience of Syrian refugees in Jordan, it describes how the integration in labor market depends on the alignment of four perspectives: (1) host state perspective, materialized through legal regulations about refugee employment; (2) refugee perspective that refers to refugees’ access to labor market and challenges they face; (3) host community perspective that implies to the recognition, approval, or reactions of host communities to the refugee employment; and (4) donor perspective that appears with the intervention of international actors through development aid or general support to refugees’ working rights. To explore these diverging perspectives and their implications about the labor market integration of Syrian refugees in Jordan, the data is gathered from ethnographic policy analysis and stakeholder interviews in urban areas and camps. We argue that the refugees’ legal right to work is one of the most contentious policy issues not only for Jordanian state but also for its relations with Jordanian citizens, refugees, and donors. From the perspective of donors, ensuring Syrians’ legal access to labor market in the immediate host countries, like Jordan, is a policy tool for keeping refugees in the origin region. At the host community level, the issue appears as a source of dilemma; because refugee employment is a critical domain for refugees’ self-reliance and local integration on the one hand, it is perceived as the source of competition for already scarce job opportunities on the other hand. For refugees themselves, an access to labor market and getting support are ways of gaining sustainable livelihood opportunities, self-reliance, and dignity. However, this access is marked by severe conditions of exploitation, vulnerability, and discrimination in working places as well as the anti-refugee rhetoric of local host communities. Programming in refugee employment necessitates taking all these four perspectives into account.

Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Burden or Boon

The growing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan broadens the importance of exploring Jordanians’ attitudes toward increasingly protracted Syrian refugees. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which demographic and socio-psychological variables shape Jordanians’ attitudes toward Syrian refugees. The study design is mainly quantitative with a qualitative technique to support and expand upon the study findings. Data were collected from 199 Jordanians over a sixteen-week period in 2015. Quantitative data were analyzed using a hierarchal regression method. The results reveal that attitudes toward Syrian refugees in Jordan are determined by issues such as unemployment and pressure on resources. Income, geographical location and patriotism were found to have statistically significant influence on Jordanians’ attitude toward Syrian refugees. Jordanians who live in the North of the country (large number of Syrian refugees reside in this area), high income Jordanians, and Jordanian with high level of patriotism hold the least positive attitudes toward Syrian refugees.

Post-Traumatic Stress and Social Anxiety Among Children of Syrian Refugees in Jordan

War has an immediate and long-term effect on children’s mental health. The purpose of this study was to assess post-traumatic stress and social anxiety among children of Syrian refugees in Jordan. A cross-sectional explorative design was used to collect data from 250 children of Syrian refugees regarding post-traumatic stress and social anxiety. Analysis showed that children had moderate levels of social anxiety and moderate level of PTS. Significant difference was found between males and females in social anxiety (p > 0.05), while significant differences are found related to PTS. Integration of mental health needs is a priority for children of Syrian refugees.

The oral health of refugees: Issues and challenges arising from a case series analysis.

Little is known of the oral health of refugees globally. The objective of this study was to characterize the oral health and care-seeking behaviours of refugees by investigating patterns of dental services provided to Syrian refugees in Jordan and their association with their oral health status. Clinical records from 444 patients who had received dental treatment over a 9-month period were retrieved and analysed. Collected data included gender, age and the type and number of treatment procedures provided for each patient. Of the total sample (51.8% female; 48.2% male; aged 18-60years), pain was the most common presenting complaint (73.0%), with poor aesthetics (17.1%) the second most common presenting complaint. About 63.3% of patients received only one procedure due to patients' lack of follow-up. Over half (54.5%) of dental treatments carried out were extractions, 74.1% of which were due to dental caries; 27.4% were fillings. Endodontic treatment was the least provided procedure (18.2%). The oral health status of Syrian refugees is a major concern, given the often-deplorable living conditions in camps and limited, often inadequate access to oral healthcare services. This situation dramatically negatively affects a refugee's oral health. There is an urgent need to provide targeted dental services for this at-risk population. Additional research is warranted on refugees worldwide, and on the provision of appropriate interventions to enable optimal oral health for this population.

Oral health-related quality of life among Syrian refugees in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

Reports examining the impact of oral health on the quality of life of refugees are lacking. The aim of this study was to examine factors influencing oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Syrian refugees in Jordan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on aconvenience sample of Syrian refugees, who attended dental clinics held at Azraq camp. The survey assessed the refugees' oral hygiene practices, and measured their OHRQoL using the Arabic version of the United-Kingdom Oral Health-Related Quality of life measure. In total, 102 refugees [36 male and 66 female; mean age 34(SD = 10) years] participated. Overall, 12.7% did not brush their teeth and 86.3% did not use adjunctive dental cleaning methods. OHRQoL mean score was 56.55 (range 32-80). Comparison of the physical, social and psychological domains identified a statistically significant difference between the physical and the psychological domain mean scores (ANOVA; P=0.044, Tukey's test; P=0.46). The factors which revealed association with OHRQoL scores in the univariable analyses, and remained significant in the multivariable linear regression analysis, were: age (P=0.048), toothbrushing frequency (P=0.001) and attending a dental clinic in the last year (P=0.004). The physical aspect of quality of life was more negatively impacted than the psychological aspect. Toothbrushing frequency and attending a dental clinic at least once in the last year were associated with more positive OHRQoL scores. Older refugees seemed to be more vulnerable to the impact of poor oral health on OHRQoL.

Introduction

I am thankful for the opportunity to produce this special issue on refugees in Jordan, and grateful to Professor Sybille Artz, Editor of the International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, who motivated and encouraged me. The issue includes four articles that focus in general on the problems and challenges that are encountered by Syrian youth and children who reside in Jordan either inside or outside the refugee camps there. Focusing on children and youth, both male and female, is important to the literature on Syrian refugees in Jordan because this age group has been neglected and overlooked by scholars since Syrian refugees first fled to Jordan in 2011. Furthermore, the challenges and problems of children are both culturally critical and morally sensitive, and that is why this special issue has extra importance. In Jordan’s conservative social and cultural environment, certain research topics relevant to the refugee camps are regarded as unlawful and prohibited: sexual harassment, underage marriage, child employment and exploitation, youth unemployment and deprivation, and other violations against children and youth.

The politics of return: exploring the future of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey

Although the Syrian conflict continues, local and global stakeholders have already begun to consider the return of the six million refugees, especially as neither the option of local integration in the countries of first asylum nor that of resettlement to third countries is seen as a realistic possibility. Elaborating on the return debates in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, we relate the politicisation of this question to the growing acceptance of the option of voluntary and involuntary repatriation in the international refugee regime as well as to policies and public opinion. We argue, based on empirical fieldwork, that any debate about the return of Syrian refugees is problematic, since the conditions of safety, voluntariness and sustainability are not fulfilled. Further, returns should not be left entirely to the individual hosting states and actors in the region but should be carried out in collaboration with representative authorities in Syria and the mediation of international organisations upon full resolution of conflict.

Skin disease profile of Syrian refugees in Jordan: a field-mission assessment.

Since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, the world has faced the most severe refugee crisis in history and 5.6million Syrians have sought asylum in neighbouring countries or in Europe. According to recent estimates, more than 650000 Syrian refugees are displaced in Jordan. This article aims to assess the demographic characteristics and skin disease profile of Syrian displaced people residing in Al Za'atari camp and in communities in Jordan. Furthermore, the authors discuss the barriers to healthcare provision experienced during field missions. This is a retrospective analysis of medical records collected during three medical missions in Jordan by an international dermatological team. Data on patient age, gender, country of origin and skin disease diagnoses were recorded both in Al Za'atari camp and Jordanian towns near the Syrian border. A total of 1197 patients were assessed during the field missions, with 67.7% female and 37.1% under the age of 14years. Dermatitis was the leading dermatological condition in both refugee camp and community healthcare clinics. Infectious diseases were the second most common; however, fungal presentations were more common in the community as opposed to viral in Al Za'atari. High dermatitis presentations were likely secondary to the environment, living conditions and lack of access to emollients. Infectious diseases were postulated secondary to poor hygiene and sharing of overcrowded spaces. Barriers to health care included limited pharmacological formulary, difficulty in continuity of care and case referrals due to lack of specialized services. Better access to health care, improvement of living conditions and hygiene, and increased availability of medications including emollients and sunscreens are all interventions that should be carried out to reduce skin disease burden. Our findings should further urge the international community to uphold their commitments and uptake engagement in improving health care for Syrian displaced people.

"If I have a cancer, it is not my fault I am a refugee": A qualitative study with expert stakeholders on cancer care management for Syrian refugees in Jordan.

BackgroundNoncommunicable diseases including cancer are widespread amongst the 5.6 million Syrian refugees currently hosted in the Middle East. Given its prevalence as the third leading cause of death in Syria, cancer is likely to be an important health burden among Syrian refugees. Against this background, our aim was to describe the clinical, ethical and policy decision-making experiences of health actors working within the current refugee cancer care system; the impact of refugee cancer care health policies on health care providers and policy makers in this context; and provide suggestions for the way delivery of care should be optimised in a sustained emergency situation.MethodsFrom April-July 2016, we conducted in-depth interviews with 12 purposively sampled health officials and health care workers from the Jordanian Ministry of Health, multilateral donors and international non-governmental organisations. Data were analysed using a framework analysis approach to identify systemic, practical and ethical challenges to optimising care for refugees, through author agreement on issues emerging from the data and those linked more directly to areas of questioning.ResultsAs has been previously reported, central challenges for policy makers and health providers were the lack of quality cancer prevalence data to inform programming and care delivery for this refugee population, and insufficient health resource allocation to support services. In addition, limited access to international funding for the host country, the absence of long-term funding schemes, and barriers to coordination between institutions and frontline clinicians were seen as key barriers. In this context where economic priorities inevitably drive decision-making on public health policy and individual care provision, frontline healthcare workers and policy makers experienced significant moral distress where duties of care and humanitarian values were often impossible to uphold.ConclusionsOur findings confirm and expand understanding of the challenges involved in resource allocation decisions for cancer care in refugee populations, and highlight these for the particular situation of long term Syrian refugees in Jordan. The insights offered by frontline clinicians and policy makers in this context reveal the unintended personal and moral impact of resource allocation decisions. With many countries facing similar challenges in the provision of cancer care for refugees, the lessons learned from Jordan suggest key areas for policy revision and international investment in developing cancer care policies for refugees internationally.

An evaluation of a tuberculosis case-finding and treatment program among Syrian refugees\u2014Jordan and Lebanon, 2013\u20132015

BackgroundThe displacement crisis in Syria poses challenges for tuberculosis (TB) control across the region. Since 2012 in Jordan and 2013 in Lebanon, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported the National TB Program (NTP) in detecting and treating TB among Syrian refugees. In December 2016, IOM asked US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff to evaluate its program of support to Jordan and Lebanon’s NTPs for TB control among Syrian refugees. This manuscript focuses on case-finding, including contact investigations, and treatment components of the IOM program during 2013–2015 in Jordan and 2015 in Lebanon.MethodsThe evaluation consisted of a retrospective review of de-identified Jordan and Lebanon line lists of TB cases and of investigated contacts (Lebanon only). Syrian refugee TB cases were categorized by sex, age group (age < 5 years, 5–14 years, ≥15 years), TB type (pulmonary versus extra-pulmonary), and additionally in Jordan, by refugee camp status (residence in versus outside a refugee camp), to evaluate differences in treatment completion and contact investigation.ResultsIn Jordan, Syrian refugee cases represented 24.4% of TB cases in 2013, when Syrian refugees made up 6.8% of the country’s population, and 13.8% of TB cases in 2015, when Syrians made up 8.3% of the total population. In Lebanon in 2015, Syrian refugee cases represented 21.4% of TB cases, when Syrians made up 20.1% of the total population. In Jordan, the proportion of Syrian TB cases residing in refugee camps (29.3%) was higher than the proportion of Syrians refugees residing in camps (17.1%). Of Syrian TB cases in 2015, 94.8% in Jordan and 87.8% in Lebanon completed treatment. In Lebanon, among Syrian TB cases with household contacts listed, contact investigation was completed for 77.8% of cases.ConclusionIOM’s program of NTP support provides critical TB services for Syrian refugees with high treatment completion rates. More community and health practitioner outreach for enhanced active case finding among community-based Syrian refugees in Jordan may improve TB case detection in populations outside of refugee camps. Thorough contact investigations need continued emphasis, including completely recording investigations in both countries, to find active TB cases.

Syrian Refugees’ Challenges and Problems of Learning and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL): Jordan as an Example

The study sought to identify the problems and challenges of teaching EFL to Syrian refugees and to identify the solutions to overcome the problems. The study has successfully met the purpose by conducting semi-structured interview with 10 Syrian refugees, one director of resettlement agency, one EFL manager, and one ESL instructors. The thematic analysis results shows that social, education, financial, and institutional are four important challenges of learning and teaching ESL to Syrian refugees in Jordan. Most of the social challenges are derived from the financial crisis, concerns about immediate family and relatives who are still residing in Syrian, childcare, lack of fulfilling basic needs, and mental hazard are severe social challenges for the Syrian refugees in terms of teaching ESL. Most of financial challenges are centralized to afford the regular family expenses, such as food, clothes, and medicine. Most of the challenges of learning EFL in terms of education include poor educational background, uncomfortable with English, lack of knowledge of teachers to deal with Syrian refugees, and lack of motivation. Budget crisis for addressing the demand of additional learning materials, new class environment, scarcity of teachers and volunteers, and poor academic background of Syrian refugees are major challenges under the institutional related challenges. The study recommends that the curriculum of teaching EFL should be designed easily by using sophisticated and learner friendly teaching methods. If necessary, ESL teachers should pay extra attention to teach EFL to Syrian refugees. For providing extra effort, the institution should pay extra compensation to motivate the teacher.

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening in Syria even affects the rocks\u201d: a qualitative study of the Syrian refugee experience accessing noncommunicable disease services in Jordan

BackgroundHumanitarian actors and host-countries in the Middle East and North Africa region are challenged with meeting the health needs of Syrian refugees and adjusting the response to contemporary humanitarian conditions – urban-based refugees, stressed host-country health systems and high NCD prevalence. Although several studies have explored NCD prevalence, utilization of services and barriers to access, these analyses took place prior to dramatic shifts in Jordanian health policy and did not account for nuances in health seeking and utilization behaviors or operational barriers. Accordingly, we aimed to understand the depth and nuances of Syrian refugees’ experiences accessing NCD services in urban and semi-urban settings in Jordan.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted to explore the healthcare experiences of Syrian refugees in Jordan. The study team conducted 68 in-depth interviews with Syrian refugees in urban and semi-urban locations in central and northern Jordan.ResultsThe findings indicated four themes key to understanding the healthcare experience: (1) emotional distress is a central concern and is frequently highlighted as the trigger for a non-communicable disease or its exacerbation; (2) service provision across all sectors – government, NGO, private – is complex, inadequate, expensive and fragmented, making engagement with the health sector physically and financially burdensome; (3) given financial constraints, participants make harmful decisions that further damage their health in order to reduce financial burdens, and (4) host-community members actively exhibit solidarity with their refugee neighbors and specifically do so during emergency health episodes. The findings from this study can be used to inform program design for forcibly displaced persons with NCDs and identify points of entry for effective interventions.ConclusionsOpportunities exist for humanitarian and host-country actors to provide more comprehensive NCD services and to improve the relevance and the quality of care provided to Syrian refugees in Jordan. Global and national funding will need to align with front-line realities and foster better coordination of services between host-country health systems, private actors and non-governmental organizations.

The oral health status of Syrian refugee children in Jordan: An exploratory study.

To examine the oral health status and dental treatment needs of children Syrian refugees in Jordan. A convenience sample of Syrian refugee children who aged between 6 and 12 years at al-Zaatari camp was used for the purpose of this study. Examination was performed according to the method proposed by WHO. DMFT and gingival indices were examined and reported by a trained dentist. A total of 125 children were examined. The mean DMFT score was 3.64 ± 9.83, and the mean dmft score was 2.98 ± 4.7. More than half of children (50.4%) were found to have high caries risk according to CAMBRA scale. Most of the DMFT score was contributed by decayed and missing teeth. Nearly, half of children (44.8%) showed fluorosis and almost all children had chronic gingivitis. More than half of the participants (55.2%) reported that they needed dental treatment during their stay at the camp, but only half (52%) received treatment mainly tooth extraction and prescription of medication. Only 6.4% of children received conservative dental treatment. Syrian refugee children in Jordan were found to have high levels of unmet dental needs. Accessibility of dental services was found to be a primary barrier to care.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis among Syrian refugees in Jordan

IntroductionOld World cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the most prevalent vector-borne diseases within the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region. The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic generated large population movements and raised concerns about spreading of CL to countries where Syrians have relocated, including Jordan. MethodsA review of electronic and paper-based registries of CL cases in Jordan was conducted to assess burden of disease and associated socio-demographic factors. ResultsIncreasing numbers of CL cases have been reported in Jordan between 2010 and 2016 (from 140 to 281), paralleled by significant increases in incidence rate (from 2.09 per 100 000 person-years, 95% CI (1.77–2.47), to 2.87 per 100 000 person-year, 95% CI (2.55–3.22), p = 0.002) and in the proportion of cases who are Syrian (from 8.6%–55.2%, p < 0.001). Syrian refugees have higher odds of presenting with leishmaniasis than Jordanian nationals (adjusted OR 7.1, 95% CI (6.3–8.0), p = 0.000). ConclusionsPresence of large numbers of Syrian refugees within Jordan has so far not contributed to increased risk of developing CL for Jordanians, however surveillance, diagnosis and case management for CL should be reinforced to meet the increased burden. Electronic surveillance can help identify priority populations and areas for interventions.

The Level of Satisfaction with Family Life and Self-satisfaction among a Sample of Syrian Refugees in Jordan

This study aims to identify the level of satisfaction with family life and self-satisfaction among sample of Syrianrefugees in Jordan in the light of some variables. The study consisted of (427) Syrian refugees. The result shows anaverage level of satisfaction with family life and self- satisfaction. In addition it indicates that there are statisticalsignificant differences in the satisfaction with the family life and self-satisfaction according to the followingvariables: gender in the favor of females. Moreover, the results shows differences in the level of satisfaction withfamily life according to the age variable in the favor of (less than 15 years), and there are differences in the level ofself-satisfaction according to the age variable in the favor of (16-30 years, and 31-45 years).

The Level of Satisfaction with Family Life and Self-Satisfaction among a Sample of Syrian Refugees in Jordan

This study aims to identify the level of satisfaction with family life and self-satisfaction among sample of Syrian refugees in Jordan in the light of some variables. The study consisted of 427 Syrian refugees. The result shows an average level of satisfaction with family life and self-satisfaction. In addition, it indicates that there are statistically significant differences in the satisfaction with the family life and self-satisfaction according to the following variables: gender in the favor of females. Moreover, the results show differences in the level of satisfaction with family life according to the age variable in the favor of less than 15 years, and there are differences in the level of self-satisfaction according to the age variable in the favor of 16&amp;ndash;30 years and 31&amp;ndash;45 years.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis among Syrian Refugees in Jordan: a Retrospective Study.

The aim of this study is to investigate cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) among Syrian refugees residing in Jordan. A total of 558 Syrian refugee patients were clinically diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis during 2010-2016. For each patient, sex, age, location, and number of lesions were recorded. Of the total 558 CL cases among Syrian refugees, 514 (92.1%) were classified as imported, 14 (2.5%) as locally acquired infection, and 30 (3.4%) of cases unclassified due to lack of information. By gender, 306 (55%) were males and 252 (45%) were females. Ages ranged between 1 and 78 years (17.3 ± 16.3), with the age group 1-10 years (48.2%) being the most affected group. The face was the most affected (171 cases, 30.6%), followed by the hands and arms in 95 cases (17%), while lesions on the legs were observed in 69 cases (12.4%), and 65 cases (11.6%) on the trunk. The number of lesions ranged from 1 to 5 (1.39 ± 0.985) on the face, 1 to 3 (1.32 ± 0.898) on the trunk, 1 to 17 (1.5 ± 41.39) on the arms, and 1 to 5 (1.5 ± 1.473) on the legs. Extensive efforts should be undertaken by the health officials in Jordan to confine the spread of this disease by strengthening surveillance, diagnosis of new cases, proper treatment of all cases, and entomological surveys for the presence of the vector sandflies as well as the reservoir hosts within the refugee camps. Most cases were considered as imported (92.1%) and require immediate attention at the port of entry.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis among Syrian Refugees in Jordan: a Retrospective Study

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis among Syrian Refugees in Jordan: a Retrospective Study

‘Blood Doesn’t Become Water’? Syrian Social Relations during Displacement

AbstractHumanitarian discourses emphasize that displacement results in disruptions to family structures. This article challenges simplistic descriptions of change during displacement, highlighting the powerful role of the family in Middle Eastern societies through an anthropological exploration of social relations among Syrian refugees in Jordan. It contributes to academic analysis on social relations among refugees by presenting a more mixed picture of social dynamics within and outside the family—both before conflict and during displacement. It explores how the hold of the family among Syrians may limit social interactions with ‘outsiders’ during displacement, as well as how displacement may offer opportunities for tighter social regulations to be unravelled. These findings highlight that social relations among refugees must be analysed more carefully, and with consideration of intersectional power dynamics.

Burden of Cancer Among Syrian Refugees in Jordan.

The Syrian crisis, which started in 2011, has had a profound impact on the entire region. Jordan, with its limited resources, now has the second highest ratio of refugees to inhabitants in the world (89 to 1,000). The actual number of Syrians in Jordan is hotly contested: more than 630,776 refugees registered in November 2015 compared with 1,265,514 reported by the national census conducted at the same time. Although the numbers are slowly but steadily increasing, the number of patients with cancer who were registered by the Jordan Cancer Registry peaked in 2013 at 510 patients reported and subsequently slumped downward, which coincided with changes in funding as a result of the increasing strains on the Ministry of Health. Older individuals, women, and patients with advanced diseases were less likely to be registered. These findings overlap with data obtained from the authors’ own center registry. Using age- and sex-specific population-based incidence rates, we estimated that 869 Syrians are diagnosed with cancer in Jordan annually. Using diagnosis-specific cost records of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation, we estimated that the cost of their treatments is 15.6 million Jordan dinars (US$22.1 million).