Based on Yarmouk University's mission to support the local community and within the activities of the Student Support Unit R-SOS Unit of the Center for Refugee, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies, the Center, in cooperation with the Community Support Committees, organized a lecture entitled "Psychological Counseling Services between Theory and Practice" given by Dr. Ahmed Sharifin from the Department of Science Psychology and educational counseling in the College of Education at Yarmouk University.

The lecture aimed at identifying the importance of psychological counseling services in the Jordanian society in general, and the refugee group in particular, with regard to educational institutions, families and individuals, and the guide’s contribution and role in counseling the mentors.

Al-Sharifain talked about the definition of psychological counseling and its importance, the art of psychological counseling as a flexible creative process, the distinction between formal and informal assistance, legal and ethical issues in counseling, and how to deal and provide psychological counseling services to refugees in particular.

At the end of the lecture, the door was opened for discussion and questions were posed by some specialists in asylum issues and a number of Jordanian and Syrian university students, in addition to refugees in the local community.

President of Yarmouk University, Dr. Nabil Hilat, discussed on Wednesday, with the Project Manager for Social and Psychosocial Support and Trauma Reduction at German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Christine Mueller, the mechanism for implementing the sustainability plan for the GIZ-funded project, which is implemented by the university's Refugees, Displaced Persons, and Forced Migration Studies Center (RDFMSC).

Speaking during the meeting, Hilat said he university attaches "special" importance to refugee issues and their implications, by making relevant scientific research and study, conducted through RDFMSC, to deepen its mission to expand and serve the "humanitarian" community.

Muller, for her part, delivered Hilat a detailed report, assessing the implementation mechanism of the psychosocial support project during the past three years and outlining the executive tools of its fourth and final phase, which will be implemented during 2021 by RDFMSC.

Muller also presented a GIZ-proposed sustainability plan to ensure the continuation of this refugee-orinted project after the end of the funding period, and to include it in the RDFMSC's activities and periodic training courses.

The Center of Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration studies, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration in Jordan, participated in a seminar through visual communication technology on the occasion of the International Day of Migrants, which falls on the eighteenth of December of each year under the slogan (We are together, we learn together, create together and work together And we play together).

 The symposium aimed to bring together the various state and local institutions and decision-makers to exchange views, with the Global Compact for Migration as a general topic, and the discussion reflected the impact of the Corona pandemic, specifically the social and economic situation of refugee, displaced and migrant workers in Jordan, as well as the potential effects of the current crisis on human mobility in whom A medium to long-term perspective, how to meet the challenges posed by the epidemic, and means of cooperation between the host countries and the international community.

The center’s participation was represented by presenting the most important economic impacts resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic on migrants and displaced persons in Jordan, and how they are affected, like other countries of the world, by limited job opportunities and the loss of some of their work.

A migrant is defined as any person who moves or moved across international borders or within a country far from his usual place of residence, regardless of the person’s legal status, whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary, what are the reasons for the movement, or what is the length of stay, and some people move in search of Others move to escape from conflict, persecution, terrorism or human rights violations, while others move in response to the negative impacts of climate change, natural disasters, or other environmental factors.

The migration factor is the third element of population growth, in addition to births and deaths, as the figures issued by the Higher Population Council indicate that studies indicate that about 57 nationalities are present in Jordan, and among the most numerous of these nationalities are Syrians, whose number reached one million and 265,514 thousand, and Iraqis. 130911 thousand, the Palestinians 634182 thousand, and the Egyptians 636270 thousand, and the percentage of immigrants in Jordan is about 31%. The High Commissioner for Refugees has classified Jordan as the second highest country in the world by the number of refugees.

In addition, 55% of the non-Jordanian population came to Jordan due to insecurity in their country of origin, 18% due to work, 2% for studies, and 85% of the non-Jordanian population are refugees, and their presence in the capital, Amman, is 33% more. Then Irbid 24%, and by 17% in Zarqa Governorate and 15% in Mafraq respectively, and according to the General Population and Housing Census 2015, 17% of refugee families are headed by a woman, and the illiteracy rate among refugees is about 13.6%, in addition to 47, 9% of the refugees are dependent individuals, pointing out that according to the Ministry of Labor data, the number of those who obtained work permits for the year 2019 reached (348 736 thousand), of whom (91 9887 thousand) were females, and the total number of domestic workers reached (55,551 thousand).

The Center of Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration studies at Yarmouk University participated with local and international associations and community organizations the activities of the annual international campaign against gender-based violence, where combating domestic violence was chosen as the main title of the campaign for this year under the slogan "We are with you against violence."

Where the United Nations indicates that one out of every three women in the world was exposed to violence last year, and this occasion comes this year in light of the conditions of the Corona pandemic as the economic and living situation has led to an increase in violence, as the Jordanian government in recent years issued a lot Among the legislations that aim to eliminate discrimination and violence against women, including the shelters for women at risk and the system of homes for those at risk, according to which a safe house was established to protect women at risk, in addition to the Ministerial Committee is now working to find a shelter in the south, and the Kingdom joined in 2014 the United Nations initiative United Commitment to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

It is noteworthy that the 16 days campaign against gender-based violence is a global campaign that is held every year from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) until December 10 (International Human Rights Day) .. The campaign is widely known as " The 16 Days Campaign is used as an organized strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to advocate for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. The campaign was initially spurred by the Global Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship in 1991.

The Participants in the Fourth International Conference on Refugees, which concluded its work at Yarmouk University, titled “Protracted displacement - hopes, aspirations and solutions,” which was organized by the university via remote visual communication technology, through the Center for Studies of Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration, recommended a review of the social contract Of refugees and displaced persons, as well as a review of the Jordanian response plan to the Syrian crisis in light of the Corona pandemic.

The participants also called on the European Union to preserve the issue of refugee protection and to provide the necessary means of support, to strengthen the human rights dimensions in the response to the emerging corona virus, and to strive to ensure that policies, practices and discussions related to migration management take into account the specific protection needs of asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons, and the necessity Recognition of the legal framework in place to meet these needs.

The participants also recommended the necessity to assist countries and partners in meeting the challenges related to the management of immigration and asylum, taking into account protection concerns, determining migration of children and related developments affecting children under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Participants also stressed the need to support strengthening governance and taking into account the universal character of human rights, including the rights of all people on the move regardless of their legal status, in ways that reinforce the principles and practice of international refugee protection.

The conference had discussed, in its three sessions, which were held simultaneously yesterday, many themes and issues related to asylum and displacement issues and their repercussions.

In the first session, which was moderated by Dr. Carsten Wallenner from the Eldad Foundation, it was titled The Contested Areas: Local Governance, Civil Society and Armed Bodies in North and East Syria, in which Mrs. Shaylan Ali spoke through a paper titled The Disputed Areas: The Judgment Local, civil society and armed actors in northern and eastern Syria.

Dr. Fawaz Al-Momani, Dr. Tamara Al-Yaqoub, Dr. Rasheed Al-Jarrah from Yarmouk University, Dr. Sarah Tobin and Dr. R. Knudis from the Human Rights Center - Michelsen Institute - Norway, and Dr. Benjamin Itzold from the Bizen International Center in Germany, spoke in a paper entitled The Protracted Displacement of Syrian Refugees In Jordan: Future Intentions.

Mrs. Aroub Al-Abd from the Lebanese Studies Center / Lebanese American University presented a paper entitled Spillover among the Diverse Refugees in Jordan: What are the Social and Economic Rights?

Sarah Goer, Zard Monet, Dr. Ling San Lau, Yusra Al Salman, and Dr. Julen Smarimax of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health presented a paper titled Transcending Uncertainty: Accountability in Human Practice.

In the second session, titled Sustainable Solutions and Media: in which Dr. Hadeel Fadela from Bir Zeit University presented a paper entitled: The Return of the Palestinians After 1994: Policies or Services?

Iman Al-Omari and Dr. Ayat Nashwan from Yarmouk University presented a paper entitled "Factors Affecting the Decision Making for Syrian Refugees to Return to Jordan."

Dr. Moaz Al-Mawla from the University of Hafr Al-Batin in Saudi Arabia presented a paper entitled Permanent Solutions for Refugees, Voluntary Return, Settlement and Integration, Prospects and Challenges.

Mrs. Chafia Boughaba, Mr. Ahmed Amin and Mr. Salah El-Din Boujelal from the University of Setif 2 - Algeria presented a paper entitled: Reuniting the Arab family dispersed due to armed conflicts: between international law facilitations and the requirements of domestic laws.

Dr. Farhan Alimat and Mrs. Louzan Obaidat from Yarmouk University presented a paper entitled: Media and Communication Reality in the Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan: The Zaatari Camp is a Model.

Dr. Safaa Subuh from Al-Hussein Bin Talal University presented a paper entitled Democratic, Social and Economic Characteristics of the Syrian Refugees in the Northern Governorates, a Study in Economic Geography.

And in the third session, which was titled The Practice of Social Work: Visions and Needs, which was moderated by Dr. Rowan Ibrahim from the German Jordanian University, in which Ms. Mays, an assistant from the Institute of International Law for Peace and Armed Conflict, presented a paper entitled: Access Extended: The Life of Yazidi Women Survivors of the Islamic State Organization in Germany, and Dr. Muhammad Tabishat from Dhofar University - Amman, who presented a paper entitled: Refugees, Social Work and the Ethnography of Displacement: An Opportunity for Learning,

Dr. Abeer Musleh from Bethlehem University presented a paper entitled: Building Community Resilience: Reflection on Community Development with the Practice of Refugees in Bethlehem, and Dr. Sahar Al Makhamrah from the German Jordanian University presented a paper entitled: The Host Refugee - Focuses on Society - The Approach: An Insight into Teaching Social work in Jordan.

 It is noteworthy that this conference was held in cooperation with the German Jordanian University, the Syrian Jordanian Education Program, the Academics Program in Solidarity at the Free University of Berlin, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the German Exchange Agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and with the support of the German University Project Office at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, And the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the European Union.

The activities of the second period of the International Refugee Conference on Protracted Displacement have resumed in its second part, organized by Yarmouk University via remote visual communication technology, through the Center for Studies of Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration entitled "Protracted displacement - hopes, aspirations and solutions", in cooperation with the German Jordanian University and the Education Program The Syrian-Jordanian, Academics Program in Solidarity at the Free University of Berlin, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the German Agency for Scientific Exchange, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and with the support of the German University Project Office at the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the European Union.

In its three sessions, which were held simultaneously, the conference dealt with many themes and issues related to asylum and displacement issues and their implications.

In the first session, moderated by Dr. Diaa Abu Tair, from the German Jordanian University, it was titled Labor Market Integration, Social Benefits and Entrepreneurship, in which Dua Jarrar - Alexander Lamflossi College of Economics, Sopron University, Hungary, spoke through a practical paper carried Title insights on working conditions for Syrian refugees in Jordan, between contentment and lack thereof.

Professor Suzanne Dries and Professor Stevie Kraemer of the University of Applied Sciences of Newbrandenburg presented a scientific paper entitled Work prospects for refugees in rural areas: The role of society and service organizations.

Hekmat Goller of the University of Potsdam also presented in his paper entitled Integration of Refugee and Asylum-Seeker Professionals in the Labor Market: Ability to Commitment Versus Barriers to Integration.

Dr. Max Stephenson Jr., Dr. Renad Abbad and Patricia Barrera from Virginia Tech University, and Dr. Mudassir Abu Karaki from Al Hussein Bin Talal University presented a paper entitled Diagramming the Effects of Covid-19 on Entrepreneurship for Refugees.

Dr. Aida Mamuji and Dina Miqdadi from York University in Canada and Dr. Gendy Nohair from the US QED Foundation presented a paper entitled: Syrian Refugees Looking for Employment: Labor Market Experience and Integration Support Programs in the Greater Toronto Area.

And in the second session, which was titled Higher Education and Academic Displacement: An Ongoing Debate, in which Dr. Hakan Ergin from Istanbul University presented a paper entitled: Syrian Students and Scholars in Turkish Language Universities: Burden or Opportunity?

Dr. Mark Johnson College of Education - University of Wisconsin-Madison presented a paper entitled "From Distance Education in Emergencies" to "Effective Hybrid Learning": Higher Education in Jordan.

Najmuddin Bakari from the Center for International Peace and Stability, Islamabad, presented a paper entitled: Displacement, Integration and Cross-Cultural Crossing: An Analysis of Refugees in Germany.

Hanna Grunwald, Ahmed Amin and Michael Kleiss presented a paper entitled: Integration through Language and Higher Education, Early Collocation Methods - Assessment of Language Proficiency and School Talent.

Professor Petul Yarar and Professor Yasmine Karakasogel of the University of Bremen and Professor Aital Watsala of the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg Schweinfurt (FHWS) presented a paper entitled: Exiled Scientists in Higher Education System in Germany: Experiences and Prospects.

And in the third session, entitled Health and Psychological Support, which was moderated by Dr. Sahar Al-Makhmarham from the German-Jordanian University, in which Dr. Zahira Zahra Maknat, from Global Health Justice University and Columbia University presented a paper entitled: Treating Any Infectious Diseases Among Urban Refugees in the East Middle and North Africa - Scope Review, Dr. Anindita Dasgupta and Dr. Nabila Al-Basil from the University of Jordan - Faculty of Medicine, and Ms. Terina Mukherjee from Columbia University, School of Public Health, research paper entitled: Care Barriers: Factors Associated with the Unmet need for Mental Health Care Among Syrian Refugees in Jordan ,

Dr. Alex Maximilian Keeler and Dr. Rahim Hajji from the University of Magdeburg-Stendhal presented a paper entitled: Mental health of refugees in Germany,

Dr. Louis Turner from the University of Newcastle presented a paper entitled: Involving Syrian men in the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, while Dr. Barbara Brautigam and Amir Nejad from the University of Applied Sciences Newbrandenburg presented a paper entitled: It is more than I can manage “- Psychosocial counseling for refugees in Mecklenburg - Vorpommern, while Dr. Firdaws Al-Issa from Bethlehem University presented a paper entitled: Self-efficacy as a mediator of traumatic events for Palestinian refugee children living in Bethlehem refugee camps.

The conference will continue in its second part on the 17th of this month.

The Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Dr.Riyad Al-Momani, sponsored the graduation ceremony for the participants of the third session of the Psychosocial Support Project, which is implemented by the Center for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies, in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), for 12 Jordanian and Syrian trainees.

Al-Momani emphasized during his speech that Yarmouk University, since its establishment, has consistently been a pioneer and distinguished in its scientific and academic journey, and has made community service and humanity one of its goals and objectives, and therefore it always embraces and supports all activities that root its societal and humanitarian responsibilities.

 And he continued, the world has passed and is going through great tremendous challenges, as we find wars, conflicts, disasters, epidemics and crises generated here and there, and these all have their consequences that tear family ties, disturb social cohesion and push towards isolation, fear, anger, sadness and deviation, and these are all factors that disrupt education, behavior and mental health. And physical.

Al-Momani added, the scholars affirm that psychological and social support, whether on the level of individuals or family and community relations, strengthens personality and relieves physical and emotional suffering, due to its importance and auxiliary role for them in success in various areas of life.

The director of the Center for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Forced Migration Studies, Dr.Anas Al-Subuh, said that despite the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic, we at Yarmouk University did not stand idly by, as the center and within the framework of the psychosocial support and trauma project in Jordan of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) completed the phase The third for this program is for 12 male and female trainees of both Jordanian and Syrian nationalities.

And he continued, this course included four comprehensive modules to cover different aspects in the refugee context and keep pace with development techniques, within a group of internal seminars that formed a mixture of conceptual theoretical inputs for professionals in the fields of migration and refugee studies and psychosocial support with practical exercises over a period of four weeks. By applying their acquired knowledge in a two-week field activity.

Dr. Christine of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) drew attention to the importance of psychological support for the individual and society, especially in these difficult circumstances, not at the level of Jordan, but in the world, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which has left its economic effects on families, and its psychological effects in particular on children and mothers.

She indicated that due to this pandemic, children no longer go to their schools, which increased the responsibility of mothers in educating and teaching these children in addition to housework, calling on the graduates of this course to persevere and strive to become experts by developing their skills and thus their ability to provide assistance to individuals in their society, especially In these exceptional circumstances.

Hanan Al-Nimrat, one of the participants in the project, expressed her thanks to Yarmouk University and the German Agency for her participation and her colleagues and colleagues in this training project, which each had his own experience that added to him on the personal and professional levels many new skills.

 Through this training, she continued, I was able to provide collective counseling sessions to refugees, and I also trained them on activities appropriate to their age group, based on scientific foundations that take into account what I learned during the training about the conditions, situations, needs and challenges of refugees.

 At the end of the ceremony, Moumni handed over the certificates to the trainees and trainees participating in the project.