Khaberni - The Ministries of Interior and Labor, and the Public Security Directorate, in a joint statement today stressed the need for foreigners residing in the Kingdom to comply with the provisions of the Residence and Foreigners Affairs Law, to regularize their legal situations, and to specify their places of residence, emphasizing that the competent authorities are proceeding with legal actions and will hold accountable anyone found to be involved in harboring or employing any foreigner outside the legal framework.
The Ministry of Interior clarified that Residence and Foreigners Affairs Law No. (24) of 1973 and its amendments, mandates in Article (11) that every foreigner wishing to stay in the Kingdom for more than two weeks must visit the Public Security Directorate or one of its branches or police stations to organize a declaration including their personal information and provide the necessary identification documents, to ensure their place of residence is documented.
The ministry added that Article (14) of the law obliges managers of hotels, inns, and hotel apartments, and anyone who harbors a foreigner or allocates a residence for them, to notify the Public Security Directorate within 48 hours of the foreigner's entry or departure from the residence, noting that violating the provisions in Articles (11) and (14) subjects the violator to a fine of (200) dinars according to Article (36) of the law.
It also noted that Article (4) of the Residence Place Designation System No. (95) of 1998 obliges owners and renters of furnished apartments to inform the nearest security center within 24 hours about any foreigner occupying those apartments or leaving them, emphasizing that the penalties specified in the law will be applied against anyone who violates these provisions.
The Ministry of Interior emphasized that these measures are part of its efforts to combat any practices that violate the law, insisting that it will not hesitate to take legal actions against anyone who harbors any foreigner, and that violators will be referred to administrative judges for legal proceedings.
In the same context, the Ministry of Labor confirmed that any non-Jordanian worker caught working without a work permit, or in a profession other than the one permitted for them, will be deported immediately, in addition to imposing fines on the employer and the issuing entity or the homeowner, which could amount to double the value of the work permit.
The ministry clarified that the system regulating the recruitment agencies for domestic workers prohibits employing any worker without a work permit for the homeowner, and prohibits employing workers on a trial basis or on a daily rate system, and also prohibits the transfer of the worker from one house to another without prior approval from the relevant authorities.
The ministry called on citizens to only deal with licensed recruitment offices, which number (222) offices, warning against employing domestic workers who do not hold a valid work permit, as this directly relates to the health of the worker and the health of the family, especially since renewing the permit requires an annual medical exam.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Directorate confirmed that all its relevant departments will continue to track all violations related to the Foreigners Law, to control them and implement legal measures regarding them.
It emphasized that anyone who harbors a runaway worker or provides a place for living or employment will be subject to legal accountability, noting that investigations will include all those involved in escape operations, whether through recruitment offices, intermediaries, or individuals, and they will be prosecuted on charges of human trafficking.
The directorate clarified that recent amendments to the Residence and Foreigners Affairs Law have increased penalties, as a fine amounting to (200) dinars has been instituted for anyone who violates the instructions for reporting the residence of a foreigner within the legal period, whether upon their arrival or departure from the residence.
The Public Security Directorate also confirmed that legal responsibility will also extend to anyone contributing to the smuggling of domestic workers or providing shelter or work for them without reporting, and stated that the competent authorities will check their places of residence during the periods of escape, and take legal actions against anyone proven to be involved or negligent.
