EMBASSY AMMAN'S 2005 TIP REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001702

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, IWI, AND NEA/RA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB JO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY AMMAN'S 2005 TIP REPORT

REF: 04 STATE 273089


1. (U) Embassy Amman's contribution below to the annual
Trafficking in Persons report is keyed to the instructions
found in reftel.

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Checklist
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2. (SBU) A. Based on the information available to post,
Jordan is not a country of origin or transit for trafficked
men, women, or children. An element of fraud may be involved
in employing and bringing some foreign domestic workers
(FDWs) to Jordan. In addition, some FDWs end up in abusive
situations, but neither the GOJ nor the Embassy can establish
a causal link between possible fraud in recruitment and
eventual abusive working conditions.


3. (SBU) Sources of information for this report include the
Foreign, Labor, Justice and Interior Ministries, NGOs, other
embassies, and independent analysts. GOJ sources are
generally reliable, but their numbers tend to have
inaccuracies as they do not have the funding/capacity to
count all foreign workers. The NGOs and independent analysts
contacted for this report are reliable but only have
estimates regarding the number of foreign workers in Amman.

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Prevention
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4. (SBU) B,E,G The Interior and Labor Ministries are most
directly involved in activities affecting trafficking. The
Public Security Directorate (PSD),under the Interior
Ministry, actively controls the borders with both entry and
exit controls, and the military assists by monitoring the
borders between ports of entry. The PSD also investigates
crimes including physical abuse and immigration violations;
the Interior Ministry issues residence permits to foreigners
already present in the country. As of 2003, the Labor
Ministry regulates the recruiting and employment conditions
of FDWs. The government has not formally assigned
anti-trafficking duties to a specific body, nor does it have
a national action plan, and it is limited financially in its
ability to carry out trafficking-related programs. The
government does have active public corruption task forces
involving several law enforcement and prosecutorial bodies.


C. UNIFEM's ongoing national program for Jordan includes
plans to publicize the poor work and living conditions of
some FDWs and the government has been supportive of the
program. The Ministry of Labor is currently working in
cooperation with UNIFEM to issue a pamphlet that will
highlight the rules and regulations pertaining to foreign
workers in Jordan. The pamphlet will explain the rights and
obligations of foreign workers under Jordanian labor law and
cite relevant legislation. The plan is to raise the awareness
of both employees and employers of the legall protections
afforded foreign workers.


D. The King and the current government have continued to make
the empowerment of Jordanian women, politically and
economically, a top priority. Queen Rania remains a strong
advocate for women's and children's rights. The government
has a number of programs that could be defined as combating
trafficking in women and children. For example, the Ministry
of Social Development (MSD) has a program to rehabilitate
street children. The Ministry of Labor conducts vocational
training programs for young rural women. The PSD, MSD and
Ministry of Education have cooperative programs that provide
mentoring and vocational training for at-risk youth. However,
we have no evidence of trafficking of Jordanians.


F. A government steering committee that monitors and
evaluates the conditions of FDWs in Jordan continues to meet.
Membership includes government agencies, UNIFEM, NGOs, and
FDW source country embassies. Committee members have an
active and cooperative working relationship. UNIFEM considers
its program for migrant workers in Jordan, including GOJ
participation and the GOJ-endorsed standard FDW contract, a
model for the region. Trafficking is not commonly discussed
in civil society and is not a widespread concern.

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Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers
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5. (SBU) A. A 1926 law specifically bans trafficking in
children. The 1929 slavery nullification law makes it a crime
to force or entice a person to come to or depart Jordan to be
traded, purchased, or sold. Traffickers can also be
prosecuted under the penal code of 1953, which bans all forms
of slavery. Penal law 16 of 1960 criminalized extramarital
intercourse (including prostitution),providing for
punishments ranging from 5 years imprisonment to execution,
depending on the age of the victim and the relation of the
accused to the victim. Under Penal Code articles 333 and 334,
physical harm that causes a victim to miss work is punishable
by imprisonment of three months to three years and/or small
fines, with punishments of up to ten years for causing a
permanent disability or inducing an abortion.

B, C. The penalty for indecent assault, without force, is
punishable by a minimum of 5 years imprisonment if the victim
is less than 12 years of age (Penal Code Art. 298),with
greater punishments for use of force (Penal Code Articles
296-299). Inducing a woman to extramarital sexual relations
is punishable by a minimum of 3 months imprisonment (Penal
Code Art. 304). Labor exploitation is subject to legal bans
on bonded labor and slavery as described above. The penalties
for rape range from 5 years imprisonment, if the victim is
over 15 years of age, to execution, if the victim is under 15
or in cases of incest.


L. Jordan does not have an identified child sex tourism
problem.

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Protection and Assistance to Victims
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6. (SBU) B. The interagency Family Protection Department
(FPD),coordinated by the PSD, states that it offers the
following assistance to all victims of abuse, including FDWs,
regardless of citizenship or socio-economic status:
translation/interpretation services, interviews conducted by
a female police officer in a private room, medical exams
conducted by forensic doctors at FPD facilities as opposed to
public hospitals, provision of clothing and "secure resort"
until investigation is complete, consular notification, and
access to counseling. In practice, shelter and legal
assistance are also provided by the respective embassy and/or
friends. Immigration assistance, e.g. temporary relief from
deportation or waiving of overstay fines, may be provided on
an ad hoc basis, but all overstayers are subject to fines,
regardless of reason. Jordan has begun to develop shelter and
other support services to women and child victims of abuse,
including Jordanian citizens. The FPD coordinates closely
with a small number of domestic NGOs to help abuse victims
access the limited services available.


G. The government does not provide training on how to assist
victims of trafficking. However, the FPD and NGOs have raised
the profile of abuse within Jordanian society. The FPD has
become increasingly adept at assisting victims of abuse and
staff members have been trained in the special needs of these
victims.


7. (U) Embassy point of contact on trafficking is political
officer Keith Heffern. Office phone number is 962-6-590-6597,
fax 962-6-592-0159, e-mail HeffernKL@state.gov.


8. (U) Time spent preparing this report: FSN9 10 hours, FS03
Poloff 50 hours, FS02 Poloff 1 hour, FS01 Poloff 1 hour.
HALE