Jordan Bore the Burden of Asylum for the World.. A Study of the Jordanian Experience in Managing the Syrian Crisis

The attached study data indicates that Al-Badareen is affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, while Bani Salameh is affiliated with Yarmouk University in Jordan, and Qorba with the University of Jordan in Amman.

The study gains special importance as it moves beyond the traditional reading of the refugee crisis as a temporary humanitarian situation, to examine how, after more than a decade, it has transformed into a structural issue that has left direct impacts on the state, society, economy, infrastructure, natural resources, and public services.

The study comes as part of a series of studies published by Professor Mohammad Bani Salameh, both individually and in collaboration with other researchers, which have addressed multiple aspects of the Syrian refugee crisis and its repercussions on Jordan. This is an academic endeavor to convey the Jordanian experience to the international scientific community and highlight the magnitude of the burdens the Kingdom has borne as a result of one of the largest displacement and refugee crises the region has known in recent decades.

The study explains that since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, Jordan has moved from emergency humanitarian response to a more institutionalized and sustainable model for managing the presence of more than 1.4 million Syrian refugees. It notes that the 2016 “Jordan Compact” marked an important turning point by linking aid and international trade benefits on one hand, with expanding opportunities for refugees in work and education on the other.

The study introduces the concept of “hybrid refugee governance” as a framework for understanding the Jordanian experience; this experience combines providing forms of economic and social participation for refugees with the continuation of their temporary legal and political status. The study argues that Jordan has succeeded in developing a flexible institutional response to protracted displacement, but it operates in a highly complex environment due to limited resources, economic and social pressures, and declining international support.

The study reveals that the effects of the Syrian refugee crisis have exceeded the scope of the humanitarian file, imposing increasing pressures on the labor market, the education system, infrastructure, municipalities, water resources, political institutions, and public services, which has made the refugee crisis part of the long-term challenges to the resilience of the Jordanian state and society.

Local communities in the northern governorates and some high-population-density governorates were at the forefront of bearing these pressures. The study specifically points to Irbid, Mafraq, and Zarqa, and the increased demand they witnessed for housing, water, transportation, education, waste management, and public services, in light of the limited financial and administrative capabilities available to municipalities.

At the same time, the study highlights Jordan's ability to maintain a high level of political and social stability despite these challenges, noting that the adaptability of Jordanian institutions, security capabilities, international support, and pressure management mechanisms in host communities have contributed to maintaining general stability, despite the significant pressures that have affected the labor market, education, services, and infrastructure.

These findings highlight the importance of the role played by the Hashemite leadership, the Jordanian people, and the state’s civil, military, and security institutions in dealing with the repercussions of an unprecedented crisis of this magnitude, while simultaneously maintaining the cohesion of the state, the stability of society, and the continued provision of basic services to Jordanians and refugees.

The study carries an important message to the international community: Jordan's success in managing the refugee crisis does not mean that this crisis should become a permanent Jordanian responsibility. The issue of asylum is humanitarian first and foremost, and requires a real and fair sharing of responsibilities among nations and the international community, especially given Jordan's limited resources and the increasing pressures on its infrastructure, water, economy, and institutions.

The study warns specifically of the repercussions of donor fatigue and declining international interest in the Syrian crisis in light of the emergence of other humanitarian crises competing for limited international resources, noting that reliance on foreign aid makes the sustainability of asylum policies in Jordan vulnerable to changing donor priorities and fluctuating levels of international support.

Hence, the study's findings reaffirm that the international community should not merely praise the humanitarian role played by Jordan, but should translate this appreciation into long-term financial and developmental commitment and actual burden-sharing, in a way that protects the ability of the Jordanian state and local communities to continue providing services while preserving the dignity and human rights of refugees.

The study also highlights the importance of continued support from Arab and Islamic countries for Jordan. Beyond international humanitarian responsibility, the principles of Arab and Islamic solidarity and brotherhood represent an additional basis that necessitates strengthening the support provided to the Kingdom, especially since Jordan has for many years borne significant humanitarian and developmental burdens on behalf of the regional and international communities.

The study concludes that the future of managing the Syrian refugee file in Jordan is linked to three main variables: the evolution of the situation inside Syria, the continuity of international support, and Jordan's ability to balance the protection of refugees with internal economic and political pressures. It also emphasizes that a sustainable solution requires flexible policies that accommodate the different trajectories of refugees and maintain the principles of voluntariness, protection, and dignity.

Thus, the study provides a documented academic testimony to the experience of a resource-limited state that faced an exceptional regional humanitarian crisis and was able, thanks to the wisdom of the Hashemite leadership, the awareness of the Jordanian people, and the resilience of the state's civil, military, and security institutions, to maintain its stability and perform a humanitarian role that exceeded its capabilities and resources.

The most prominent message the study places before the world remains clear: Jordan has provided much in the face of the Syrian refugee crisis, and its continued ability to perform this role requires that it not be left alone to face the burdens of a humanitarian issue that exceeds its borders and capabilities; responsibility is international, and burden-sharing is a necessity, not an option.