JORDAN: TIP DEMARCHE DELIVERED

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004574

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2015
TAGS: PREL PHUM OPRC KCRM KWMN SMIG JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: TIP DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: A. A) STATE 98926


B. B) STATE 100432

Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Poloff delivered the trafficking in persons (TIP)
demarche to Foreign Ministry Legal Advisor Bishar Khassawneh
on June 7 (refs A and B) and a suggested work plan for
improving Jordan's performance on TIP issues. Khassawneh
engaged poloff in a candid discussion about the challenges
the GOJ will need to overcome in order to carry out several
of the suggested improvements. Khassawneh commented that the
first two suggestions of the work plan -- to ratify the UN
protocol on trafficking in persons, and to pass
anti-trafficking legislation -- are closely linked. If Jordan
were a signatory to the protocol, ratifying it should be
rather routine, according to Khassawneh. Under Jordanian law,
once ratification is completed, a domestic law mirroring
Jordan's commitment to the international convention would be
drafted and presented to parliament for approval. However, he
warned that given the parliament's slow pace on such matters,
and considering the potential domestic sensitivity to this
issue, it will be difficult, in the near term, to obtain
anti-trafficking legislation. (NOTE: Khassawneh believes that
Jordan has, in the last three weeks, become a signatory to
the TIP protocol. According to the UN website, Jordan is a
signatory to the UN convention against Transnational
Organized Crime (TOC),but has not ratified it. The TIP
protocol is a supplement to the TOC convention; according to
the UN website, Jordan is not a signatory of the protocol.
END NOTE.)


2. (C) Commenting on the third suggestion, that Jordan
provide shelter for abused workers, Khassawneh said it is
very difficult to appropriate government funds for any
additional projects due to the GOJ's "dire financial
situation". All ministries have been told to cut 20% from
their currently allocated budgets. Next year the situation
will worsen, he said, with Jordan having to start paying back
USD 973 million in debt. Financing for any major projects
related to possible trafficking in Jordan, therefore would
have to come from external sources. Khassawneh was skeptical
that the NGO community would be able to secure the funding
necessary for building projects.


3. (C) Poloff engaged Khassawneh in a discussion about the
less expensive measures of the work plan, such as waiving
overstay fines for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) trying to
escape allegedly abusive employers and return to their home
countries. This prompted Khassawneh to question the U.S.
definition of "trafficked persons". Khassawneh was very
hesitant to include all foreign worker problems under the
umbrella of TIP; he noted that there could be as many FDWs
that are actually in abusive situations as there are FDWs
that have stolen from their employers and are trying to leave
Jordan under the guise of having been abused.


4. (C) Khassawneh encouraged poloff to meet with Ministry of
Labor (MOL) contacts, specifically Minister Salem, to further
determine the areas for real improvement, given a tight
fiscal belt and a parliament that struggles legislation.
Poloff has scheduled meetings with MOL officials in the
coming week to discuss the TIP report and Jordan's work plan.
HALE