Minister of Interior Mazen Faraya inaugurated the bus building coming from Syria, the Integrated Border Management Operations Room, and the new customs building at the Jaber Border Crossing on Saturday. The inauguration was attended by the Director of Public Security, Major General Obaidallah Maaytah; the Director General of the Jordan Customs Department, Major General Ahmed Al-Akalik; and a group of officials from the center, the European Union, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In his opening remarks, Faraya thanked the European Union for its support in various fields, considering it a key partner of the Kingdom in meeting the demands of development, security, and stability in the region. He praised the role of the UNODC in strengthening this support and implementing border security projects. The Minister also commended the role of the security services and the Jordan Customs Department for devoting their energies and capabilities to rehabilitating border crossings and developing cooperative and integrated work methods. Minister Faraya considered that the partnership between Jordan and the European Union is clearly embodied in the work to develop and rehabilitate the Jaber Border Post, the third-largest Jordanian border post in terms of workload. The number of users at the post doubled during the first five months of this year, double the number compared to the same period last year. The post also recorded its highest number of users in its history before Eid al-Adha.
Minister Faraya pointed out that providing support and grants to develop Jordanian border posts is, in fact, a service also provided to neighboring countries, as this facilitates and simplifies procedures, curbs smuggling operations, and intensifies monitoring and control methods, the effects of which are reflected in those neighboring countries and their citizens.
On the other hand, the Minister of Interior stated that the opening of the Integrated Border Operations Management Room aims to streamline and streamline procedures at the post, reduce time, and improve the work environment. The impact of all this is felt by travelers, who feel the burden of their burdens and the costs and efforts previously required. In this context, Minister Al-Faraya indicated that an agreement had been reached with the Greater Amman Municipality to begin work on increasing the green spaces at the center by planting and landscaping its grounds. This will enhance the aesthetic environment and enable travelers to utilize these spaces during waiting periods.
The Minister of Interior also stated that the Jordanian government attaches special importance to border crossings, allocating five million dinars from its budget for their development. He explained that these buildings were opened at the Jaber Border Crossing with funding from the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
He added that the opening of the bus building will contribute to providing new services for buses arriving from Syria, estimated at approximately 150 buses per day. These buses will move to a new route upon arrival from Syrian territory, which will alleviate congestion in the old building and reduce the number of waiting hours for travelers at the border crossing by a third. Al-Faraya explained that the opening of the Integrated Border Management Operations Room, equipped with screens that monitor all border center facilities and are connected to the main departments in Amman—the security services and the Jordanian Customs Department—contributes to controlling procedures and various passenger movements, enhancing border security. The new customs hall, equipped with various technologies, will facilitate the completion of customs transactions and matters, and streamline shipping procedures.
Minister Al-Faraya also emphasized that the development and rehabilitation of the Jaber Border Center will enhance the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their country, as it is the main route through which Syrians return to their homeland. He indicated that during the recent period, approximately (97) thousand Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned to their homes. He expected that with the school and university holidays and the improvement of the economic and security situation in Syria, the number of refugees returning to their homes will increase.
For his part, the European Union Ambassador to Amman, Pierre-Christophe Tsetsevás, stated that this project is part of the broader European Union effort to "support integrated border management in Jordan," which enhances cooperation in developing border management systems, preventing extremism and crime, and promoting social and economic development. He pointed out that this project is vital and important for strengthening cooperation between Jordan and the European Union. It will encourage Syrian refugees to return to their country of origin, through the advanced Jaber border crossing, which represents a lifeline for these returnees. Furthermore, this project enhances border security and strengthens relations between neighboring countries. He indicated that the European Union hopes to deepen future cooperation with Jordan in various fields.
In her speech, Ms. Cristina Albertin, from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, praised the deep-rooted partnership between Jordan, on the one hand, and the European Union and the Office, on the other, and the role of this strategic partnership in preventing organized and cross-border crime, in addition to controlling borders and strengthening border security through the development and rehabilitation of various Jordanian border crossings.
She added that these projects and programs will transform the concept of the rule of law and human rights from mere ideas to practical implementation on the ground. These projects and programs contribute practically to combating terrorism and extremism and preventing smuggling, especially drug and weapons smuggling. After that, the Minister of Interior inaugurated the new buildings, and was briefed on the progress of work there and the axes of change in the border work environment in its various dimensions: security, customs and administrative. The Minister also conducted field tours of the various facilities of the center and met with officials at various levels, and gave his directives to the workers in the various departments of the center on the necessity of moving forward with improving work methods and humane treatment of travelers and providing support.