Syrian Refugees in Jordan: Burden or Boon

Abstract

The growing number of Syrian refugees in Jordan broadens the importance of exploring Jordanians’ attitudes toward increasingly protracted Syrian refugees. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which demographic and socio-psychological variables shape Jordanians’ attitudes toward Syrian refugees. The study design is mainly quantitative with a qualitative technique to support and expand upon the study findings. Data were collected from 199 Jordanians over a sixteen-week period in 2015. Quantitative data were analyzed using a hierarchal regression method. The results reveal that attitudes toward Syrian refugees in Jordan are determined by issues such as unemployment and pressure on resources. Income, geographical location and patriotism were found to have statistically significant influence on Jordanians’ attitude toward Syrian refugees. Jordanians who live in the North of the country (large number of Syrian refugees reside in this area), high income Jordanians, and Jordanian with high level of patriotism hold the least positive attitudes toward Syrian refugees.