Syrian refugees ‘threaten’ Jordanian security

Jordanian security chief Hussein Hazza Majali has warned of the repercussions for national security as tens of thousands of Syrian refugees continue to flood into the country. The refugee crisis “has broken the back of public security,” he claimed. Majali warned that the construction of a new refugee camp in Jordan, currently under discussion in the House of Representatives’ finance committee, would be a “painstaking and expensive process.” Jordan’s five refugee camps now housing displaced persons from across Syria are controlled by public security officers, under the mandate of five colonels. Jordan transferred powers from the Hashemite Charity Organisation to security forces in February. The largest camp, Zaatari, has witnessed frequent clashes between security forces and refugees. According to the latest UN figures, there are currently 400,000 Syrian refugees residing in Jordan, although that number is expected to rise further still in coming weeks.