Immigration from Pakistan to Jordan: The Socio-Economic Life of Pakistanis

Abstract

There are around 15000 Pakistani agricultural migrant workers living in Jordan, along with their families. They traveled to the Levant and Gulf regions in the 1960s and 1970s to visit religious sites. Later, they settled in Jordan and began working in the agricultural sector. Now, their third generation is growing in Jordan. There are migrant workers of many other nationalities working in Jordan. The agricultural sector is dominated by Egyptians and Pakistanis. The garment sector is run by Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, and Pakistanis. Construction, restaurants, and security work in private buildings are dominated by Egyptians and Sudanese. By the late 1990s, most domestic workers were women from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. They face issues with both Jordanian and Pakistani authorities. Their lives have become tougher compared with a decade ago. Currently, they face issues such as the absence of social security, high Jordanian document-processing fees, unannounced bans on driving licenses, and very expensive medical facilities from the Jordanian side. Likewise, they face issues such as the issuance of Pakistani ID cards, a lack of Urdu schooling for their children, and the loss of Pakistani cultural values.