Jordan is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and it has not enacted a national asylum law that codifies refugee status in line with international or regional instruments. Instead, refugees and asylum-seekers fall under the Law on Residence and Foreigners’ Affairs No. 24 of 1973, which regulates the entry and stay of all non-nationals. 

Despite the absence of formal legal definitions, Jordan has established a robust operational framework through its 1998 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNHCR. The MoU explicitly references the 1951 Convention definition of a refugee and authorizes UNHCR to conduct Refugee Status Determination (RSD) and issue documentation. This arrangement enables refugees and asylum-seekers to be identified according to international criteria and access protection and essential services. While not legally binding, the MoU functions as a de facto protection framework and is central to Jordan’s refugee response.

Jordan has also adopted protection arrangements for Syrian refugees, facilitating access to stay and services. Jordan is also a party to broader human rights treaties, including the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which contains protections relevant to non-refoulement and safeguards against arbitrary expulsion.