Jordanian Expatriates: Highly Qualified People with No Place Home

Al-anbat - Saba’ Asokkar 

Translated by Ahmed Afaneh

Jordanians are still immigrating and looking for better conditions that suit their qualifications and creativity. Actually, they ran away from low living standards and income in their own country. Their justification is simple: our country doesn’t respect our ambitions and nor does it trust our abilities. It is not the right place to invest in us. The Jordanian government should never abandon such qualified people as soon as they leave the country. It should do its best to bring them back and provide the necessary incentives for qualified people so that they do not immigrate and boost the already crumpling economy. 

Jordanian economist, Hosam Ayesh pointed out that the real problem is not about them leaving the country but about reasons related to the nature of the economy and its performance. It doesn’t provide a suitable place so that one can invest in their abilities. He explained that this local manpower can make a difference, but it suffers from unemployment. The nature of the economy does not like highly qualified people but rather low skilled ones. To prove this, he pointed out that to the evidence of high unemployment among people with a bachelor degree and above for both females and males. Therefore, jobs generated by such an economy best suits low skilled people. It lacks the ability to incorporate their abilities and experiences. It doesn’t have the necessary mechanisms, potential and incentives to attract young manpower or convince to go back home. 

Ayesh wondered why other economies in other countries can attract this massive wealth of talent. The answer is simple: because there is an ongoing development in the roles that these young people can play within an economic process evolving.

Thus, qualified people become an important and necessary part in boosting what has already been achieved by the economy. He expressed concern that the motivation for bringing them back is to hire them in high-income positions, based on personal connection with high-ranking officials. Actually, opportunities for these jobs are limited to a minority segment of society. This is disappointing for local manpower.

 He explained that the country needs a society capable of evolving and developing as well as making use of its brilliant and experienced expats from abroad as well as foreigners. The aim of their return should be working for the good of Jordan. He explained that the return of qualified expats is the best-case scenario, but it may be the worst-case scenario because this weak economy doesn’t have enough vacancies for them.  

Ayesh called for the consideration of a broad project in which everyone is involved. Responsibilities within this project are allotted according to the area of expertise, and academic degree. He added that everyone must be given the opportunity to utilize his or her abilities in a broad economic process. This should not be limited to people with interests and money, who control the economy. Ayesh called on the government to disconnect this link between the rich and the powerful and pave the ground for all Jordanians abroad to take part in decision making and come back to serve their country.  

For his part, economist Wajdi Al-Makhamreh said that what the country is really facing today, is a group he called the "inheritance group”, as positions are inherited like a birthright as per their relations to the government. He noted that some of them do not have the experience and strategies necessary to run economic institutions and sectors.Thus they make the wrong decisions that are not based on the necessary studies and research. However, the bad consequences are suffered later by citizens.

 He added that this lack of local qualified people to manage things related to the "economic modernization vision” during the next ten years will lead the government to certainly fail in this matter.

He noted that the old style of hiring like inheritance distribution must be dispensed with. One solution for this is for these people to be retired and replaced with expats known for their documented accomplishments. 

He noted that there are many cases of hiring based on influential family relations. These hires contributed to the decline of the local economic and political performance.

 Al-Makhamreh called for enabling expats to utilize their expertise in running economic, political, and administrative matters in the country, and to hold them accountable for their management and results. He explained that not a single official has ever been held accountable for making wrong economic decisions that led to the decline of the local economy and investments in previous governments. He called for strict measures and  hold accountable those who made wrong economic decisions with negative effects on the country.

 Al-Makhamra pointed out that these expats were offered good opportunities abroad, and they were able to accomplish many huge achievements with their own rewards. Contrary to what is happening here where independent and highly accomplished people are being fought for having ways different from the traditional old methods. He added that Jordanian investments abroad must be redirected home so that people can benefit from them. This can be done through an investment fund in promising sectors. Also, incentives must be provided so that these investors are convinced to invest their money locally.