The number of refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan has fallen to about 393,000, down from approximately 640,000 two years ago, UNHCR Representative in Jordan Maria Stavropoulou said on August 4. She attributed the significant decline to recent developments in Syria.

Stavropoulou said nearly one-third of the Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR had left Jordan, adding that approximately 210,000 Syrian refugees had returned to Syria since December 2024.

She made the remarks during a discussion organized by the Jordan Economic Forum under the title, “Refugees in Jordan: Between Economic Impact and the Responsibility of International Partnership.”

According to figures reported by Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka television channel, more than one million Syrians are estimated to be living in Jordan, although not all of them are registered with UNHCR.

Stavropoulou said UNHCR surveys showed that approximately 34% of working-age refugees were employed, either formally or in the informal labor market.

She stressed that enabling refugees to work was economically and socially important because employment provided them with income, reduced their dependence on assistance, and allowed them to contribute to the economy.

A World Bank study conducted in 2023 found that allowing refugees to work had produced significant savings in humanitarian assistance requirements. Stavropoulou said preventing refugees from working would have required approximately $860 million in additional assistance each year.

Syrians Support Jordan’s Labor Market

Syrian refugees have contributed to Jordan’s economy in several ways, including through their participation in the labor market, their role in meeting the needs of certain productive sectors, and the spending generated by their income, which has directly supported local economic activity.

Stavropoulou noted that the number of work permits issued to Syrian refugees had declined significantly over the past two years. She said assessments of refugees’ economic impact should not be limited to pressures on water, infrastructure, and public services, but should also account for their contributions to production, consumption, and the labor market.

She said Syrian refugees had helped meet labor market needs in Jordan, particularly in the agriculture and construction sectors, through the skills they possessed. She added that some estimates indicated Syrian workers made a notable contribution to agricultural production.

Stavropoulou also said the income refugees received from employment or humanitarian assistance was spent within Jordan’s economy through purchases of goods and services, rental payments, and indirect taxes, including sales tax.

Lynn Malkawi, a member of the Jordan Economic Forum’s board of trustees and the founder and director of the Wasel Foundation for Awareness and Education, said Jordan currently hosted approximately 400,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR.

Syrians account for about 94% of those registered, while more than 80% of refugees live in Jordanian cities and towns and approximately 18% live in refugee camps.