Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya revealed that Jordan and Syria have direct daily security cooperation to combat smuggling operations, with Jordan also helping train Syrian security agencies in areas including border and migration management. He said security coordination between the two countries had reached high levels, as Jordan monitors developments in southern Syria and works to prevent them from affecting the security of its borders.
Security and border issues on Jordan’s agenda
In a press interview, al-Faraya discussed a number of security and border issues facing the kingdom, including drug smuggling across the border, conditions in As-Suwayda governorate and southern Syria, the King Hussein Bridge crisis, the development of border crossings with Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, overcrowding in rehabilitation centres, and the return of Syrians to their country.
The minister said the general situation on the northern border had improved compared with the period before the fall of the former Syrian regime, and that reciprocal visits by Jordanian and Syrian officials were taking place regularly and continuously. He noted that the Syrian interior minister had visited Jordan, while training and security cooperation were among the main issues discussed during al-Faraya’s visit to Damascus and his Syrian counterpart’s visit to Amman.
He explained that Syria, represented by its interior ministry, takes part in a cell established with the participation of a group of Arab countries. Liaison officers from the participating countries, including Syria, were appointed to it to enable immediate security and intelligence coordination.
Jordanian-Syrian coordination to combat smuggling
He added that Jordanian security agencies are developing their countermeasures and disruption methods as smugglers develop their own tactics and tools. Al-Faraya stressed that the relevant authorities in both countries cooperate directly on a daily basis to counter smuggling attempts, and that Jordan deals with the Syrian state and its official bodies on related issues, including conditions in As-Suwayda governorate because of its proximity to the Jordanian border.
He stressed that his country does not interfere in Syrian affairs, but cooperates with Syrian agencies in a way that safeguards border security and helps stabilise Syria. Amman, he added, is closely monitoring the situation in southern Syria and working to ensure that the security disorder in some of its areas does not affect Jordanian border security.
He expressed hope that the south would become stable like the rest of Syria, while preserving the unity of Syrian territory. On training, al-Faraya said Jordan had previous experience training security forces in countries that had experienced unrest, and that its role with Syrian agencies was not limited to police training.
He explained that the programmes cover most areas, particularly border management and issues related to migration in its various forms, in addition to joint training and the exchange of expertise between the police forces of the two countries. The minister linked the Syrian crisis over the past 15 years to increased drug-smuggling activity and its spread in the region, expressing hope that smuggling operations would decline in light of the existing cooperation with Damascus.
Drug case figures and percentages
He announced that the number of drug cases recorded in Jordan during the current year had reached 15,342, with trafficking cases accounting for about 28% and use cases about 72%. He said combating drugs was an ongoing process and that security agencies were making major efforts to prevent them from being brought into the kingdom.
He also discussed the increase in drug smuggling from Israel to Jordan using drones, alongside continuing attempts to smuggle drugs through other border routes. Regarding border crossings, al-Faraya said work was under way to develop the infrastructure at the Jaber and Al-Karamah border crossings, describing them as vital arteries for passenger and freight movement with Syria and Iraq.
Plans to develop the Jaber, Al-Karamah and Al-Omari crossings
He said conditions at the Jaber crossing had improved after its operating hours were extended to 24 hours a day and work was carried out on freight yards and passenger halls, with additional lanes and inspection equipment. He added that there were plans to rebuild the Jaber border crossing completely, noting that travellers had seen the results of the work carried out there.
Development of the Al-Karamah border crossing is due to begin soon through the addition of new lanes and yards to facilitate passenger and freight movement. Al-Faraya also referred to a plan to fully rehabilitate the Al-Omari border crossing, stressing that implementation had begun after the studies and designs were completed. He said the project aimed to improve the working environment at the crossing, facilitate passenger movement and reduce the time they spend there while completing border procedures.
Regarding the King Hussein Bridge, the minister said problems affecting passenger movement were influenced by restrictions imposed by the other side concerning the number of travellers, official working hours and holidays, as well as what he described as excessive procedures. At the same time, he acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the past, stressing that the Jordanian authorities had dealt with them firmly and institutionally.
He explained that the King Hussein Bridge was not a border crossing in the absolute sense, but a humanitarian crossing established to serve Palestinians. Its management therefore requires procedures and arrangements linked to several factors, chief among them the heavy pressure from passenger numbers, particularly during summer, holidays and religious festivals.
Al-Faraya clarified that a word used in the question put to him did not concern procedures inside the border crossing, but a specific issue: the failure of the air-conditioning unit in the passengers’ waiting hall. He added that the crossing had been established decades ago and that various works were currently being carried out to improve its infrastructure and logistical services, at an estimated cost of about 15 million Jordanian dinars.
He said the crossing was currently in better condition than before, in coordination with the Palestinian side, noting that work to improve services and arrangements related to passenger movement through it was continuing. On rehabilitation centres, al-Faraya announced that occupancy had exceeded 200% of capacity.
He said the Interior Ministry had begun, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Council, using alternatives to detention. The National Committee for Rehabilitation Centres had also held a meeting, and several committees had been formed to explore ways of reducing overcrowding in line with the legislation in force.
He explained that the Judicial Enforcement Department works to apprehend wanted persons in implementation of the law, to safeguard rights and prevent abuses. He added that the authorities did not regard the presence of large numbers of wanted persons as a problem in itself, because the judiciary is the body that rules on cases before it.
He noted that a number of laws had recently been amended to reduce the consequences arising from cheque cases and debtors’ inability to meet their obligations, as well as to increase the number of cases eligible for alternatives to detention and suspended sentences.
Regarding administrative detention, al-Faraya said the Crime Prevention Law specified the cases in which it could be applied, and that administrative governors followed criminal procedures similar to those used before courts of first instance, in accordance with the law. He stressed that administrative governors’ decisions could be challenged before administrative courts and were reviewed from time to time, with any detainee who posed no threat to security or public order being released.
He explained that the kingdom had provided a package of facilitation measures for those wishing to return voluntarily, including allowing refugees to leave and return, saying that these measures provided an incentive to return to Syria. He added that the return of Syrians depended not only on improved security, but also on better economic and public-service conditions.
He stressed that Jordan had throughout its history dealt with several waves of refugees, with the humanitarian dimension remaining the central feature of this policy. Regarding entry visas, al-Faraya explained that the requirement for nationals of some countries to obtain visas in advance was based on security, economic and health considerations, among other requirements linked to Jordan’s supreme interests.
He stressed that most Arab nationalities did not need prior approval to enter the kingdom, and that the authorities regularly reviewed the restrictions in force, recently lifting restrictions on several countries. He said Jordan took humanitarian circumstances into account, allowing people arriving for medical treatment to enter the kingdom and obtain visas at border crossings, while also providing facilitation measures for tourists.
Regarding the West Bank, al-Faraya said the Jordanian authorities monitored the situation daily, particularly the continuing attacks on lives and property. He said Jordan was working diplomatically and practically to help the Palestinian National Authority address these challenges, and that the kingdom was ready for any scenario that developments on the ground might impose, describing displacement as a “serious matter”.
He added that Jordan’s geopolitical position had imposed multiple challenges on it throughout its history, and that the kingdom had managed to overcome the crises it faced. Regarding internal security, he said Jordan relied on its security agencies and its citizens.
Al-Faraya considered unemployment the main challenge affecting both the security and social dimensions, stressing that the government had placed addressing it at the top of its priorities and included it in its various programmes.
