Nidal Qatamin told state-run Petra news agency that 15,000 illegal workers, including 5,723 Syrians, were in the kingdom. "They will be deported starting November 11 unless they obtain required permits and legalize their situations," said Qatamin.
He did not say if the Syrian workers had crossed the border into Jordan among waves of refugees who have fled their country's deadly conflict or if they have arrived there before the war broke out there in March 2011.
Qatamin added that the decision to expel illegal workers was aimed at helping "provide jobs for Jordanians" and organizing the labor market.
