Migrant workers face exploitation in Jordan’s Israel-linked garment industry

AMMAN, Jordan (MNTV) — Thousands of migrant women working in Jordan’s garment factories endure exploitation, low wages, and unsafe conditions within Israel-linked Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZs). 

Despite existing labour laws, many continue to face harassment, withheld pay, and denial of basic rights, according to a report by The New Arab.

For Sona, a Bangladeshi worker in Ad-Dulayl Industrial Park, each day begins before sunrise. After walking cautiously with her colleagues to avoid harassment on the way to the factory, she spends nearly eight hours at her sewing machine with just a 15-minute break. 

“When I was sick, the factory doctor told me to take Panadol and go back to work,” she said. “They treat us like machines, not people.”

Sona’s story is one of many reflecting the daily struggles of Jordan’s migrant garment workers, who make up the majority of the 58,000 foreign labourers employed in 63 QIZ companies, according to a 2023 report by Tamkeen, a labour rights organization. 

These industrial zones, established in the early 2000s under a trade deal linking Jordan, Israel, and the United States, have become central to the country’s textile exports — but at a steep human cost.

Tamkeen’s 2024 findings recorded over 150 complaints from QIZ workers involving withheld pay, confiscated passports, forced overtime, denial of leave, and even physical violence. 

Many of these violations contravene Jordan’s Labour Law No. 8 of 1996, which guarantees annual and sick leave, limits working hours, and prohibits exploitation. Yet, activists say the enforcement of these rights remains weak and inconsistent.

Khawla Abdallah, a field coordinator at Tamkeen, said many factory doctors collaborate with management to discourage sick leave. “Workers who fall ill are often denied rest,” she said. “Some managers even humiliate women by questioning their physical conditions during menstruation.” Abdallah added that fear of deportation or retaliation keeps most workers from filing formal complaints.

According to the Ministry of Labour, migrant workers can submit confidential complaints through its Himaya digital platform, which operates in multiple languages. 

Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Zyoud said inspections have been strengthened, with field visits now monitored in real time through a central control room. However, labor experts say these measures have not yet translated into better conditions on the ground.

Labor law specialist Hamada Abu Najma attributed the problem to “a shortage of inspectors and symbolic union representation.” He warned that the absolute dependence of migrants on their employers perpetuates exploitation and urged reforms to ensure freedom of movement, document ownership, and equal access to complaint mechanisms.

The violations extend beyond the factory floor. Many migrant women report being verbally abused or assaulted in public, often facing stigma from locals who accuse them of “immoral behavior.” To avoid harassment, some wear full veils outside their dormitories. “They fear being recognized and shamed,” Abdallah said.

Despite earning less than Jordan’s minimum wage — the garment sector is exempt from the national threshold of 260 Jordanian dinars — many workers rely on overtime to survive. Sona said she works extra hours to support her son, raising her pay to around 350 dinars. “But it’s still not enough,” she added.

Labor advocates say that while international buyers could push for higher standards, lasting change will depend on government enforcement and recognition of workers’ rights. 

As Sona nears the end of her contract, she has only one goal: to leave. “After three years, I’m done,” she said. “I came here to work for my family, but I’ve been treated like I don’t matter.”