Labor advisor at the Egyptian embassy in Amman Salah Atyan denied Jordanian reports of Egyptian workers being exposed to rights violations in Jordan. Atyan asserted that the status of Egyptian workers in the Hashemite Kingdom remains positive. "The rate of workers exposed to abuses in Jordan is less than one in thousands. This tiny percentage shows that Egyptian working conditions in Jordan are excellent," Atyan said in an exclusive statement to MENA reporters in Amman Thursday. Atyan called on Jordanian employers to recruit Egyptian labor without brokers or mediators in order to prevent attempts at human trafficking. The Egyptian government has regulated the recruitment of about 1500 Egyptian workers in this way. The labor advisor praised Jordan's efforts to protect migrant workers, emphasizing that Egypt and Jordan strive to understand the issue and uphold laws of both countries. According to the Jordanian Ministry of Labor most recent statistics, 71% of the approximately 458,000 foreign workers employed in Jordan are Egyptian. The Phoenix Center for Economic Studies and Informatics, an independent research organization, recently published a report stating that agricultural workers are brought to Jordan under circumstances resembling human trafficking. According to the report, agricultural workers labor in harsh conditions up to 13 hours a day, in excess of the legal limit, and without receiving official Friday holidays. The Center for Human Rights Defense in Jordan recently organized a discussion workshop entitled "Protecting Migrant Workers from Human Trafficking: Local Measures and International Standards.” Atyan and other officials attended the event. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
