Background

Since 2008, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has been present in Amman, Jordan, working to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugee minorities from across the Middle East and Africa. These communities—often overlooked by larger humanitarian actors—face serious legal, social, and economic barriers. JRS Jordan responds with a human-centered, inclusive approach, nurturing dignity, dialogue, and solidarity in a space where every person feels accepted, respected, and empowered.

JRS Jordan’s Approach: One Refugee, One Humanity

At the heart of JRS Jordan’s mission is its “One Refugee” approach: services are offered impartially, without discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, or legal status. Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and other countries, as well as Jordanians, Palestinians, and vulnerable individuals of all nationalities, are welcomed as equal members of the community.

Our spaces foster encounter, participation, and healing—bringing people together across backgrounds to strengthen resilience, support one another, and build a shared sense of home in Jordan.

The Jordan Context

Refugee minorities in Jordan face a host of structural and emotional challenges:

• Barriers to employment due to legal restrictions.
• Risk of detention or deportation.
• Racial discrimination, particularly targeting Black refugees.
• Extended displacement with no long-term solutions in sight.
• Limited access to services from NGOs or UN agencies.
• Lack of agency, safety, and opportunity.

As a result, many experience:

• Increased vulnerability and instability
• A loss of direction and purpose
• Deep feelings of abandonment and invisibility

Where We Operate

JRS Jordan is based in Amman, with its activities centered in the capital. The Core Programmes serve as a hub for Social Cohesion and Reconciliation, Advocacy, Accompaniment and Empowerment.