The temporary permits are issued for a minimal fee directly to refugees working in Jordan's construction sector - one of the country's sectors open to non nationals. Previously, such permits were tied to specific employers who applied on behalf of workers for specific positions.

Permit applicants are also required to purchase insurance policies for 50 Jordanian dinars (about 70 US dollars), instead of the previously required and more costly social security subscriptions.

The development follows the signing of an agreement between the trade unions and the Ministry of Labour in June, allowing the GFJTU to issue 10,000 renewable one-year permits annually, ILO said in a report published on its website.

Increasing the number of work permits issued to refugees and easing the application process will help formalize the Syrian workforce and secure better working conditions for them, said Maha Kattaa, ILO Syrian Refugee Crisis Response Coordinator in Jordan. 

"The new permits are a groundbreaking development for the region and the result of many months of hard work by the government, the social partners and the ILO," he said. The agreement was reached with the support and coordination of the ILO office in Amman, through a project called "Supporting the Strategic Objective of the London Syria Conference 2016," which is funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In 2016, Jordan became the first country from the Arab region to facilitate issuing work permits for Syrian refugees, following the commitment it made in London at the 2016 conference to support Syria and surrounding regions.