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Jordan Closes Border with Syria over Spike in COVID-19 Cases

Jordanian border crossing, Jaber is seen in the city of Mafraq, Jordan (File photo: Reuters)
Jordanian border crossing, Jaber is seen in the city of Mafraq, Jordan (File photo: Reuters)
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Jordan Closes Border with Syria over Spike in COVID-19 Cases

Jordanian border crossing, Jaber is seen in the city of Mafraq, Jordan (File photo: Reuters)
Jordanian border crossing, Jaber is seen in the city of Mafraq, Jordan (File photo: Reuters)

Jordan’s Minister of Interior Salama Hammad ordered the closure of Jaber border crossing with Syria for a week.

The decision, effective as of Thursday, comes upon the recommendation of a government committee tasked to run borders and airport affairs.

Hammad said the crossing will be closed and its situation will be assessed to ensure the safety of civilians and staff, state-run Petra news agency reported.

This comes after a number of coronavirus infections were recorded among the staff at the crossing.

Over the past two days, Jordan recorded 25 COVID-19 cases, most of which were detected among arrivals at the border.

The committee asserted the need to complete all procedures to clear all goods at the crossing before its closure.

It also tasked Health Minister Saad Jaber to take the necessary health and preventive measures to isolate workers at the Jaber Border Crossing, in cooperation and coordination with the relevant authorities.

Also, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz announced that local virus infections had reached 25, adding that the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases since Wednesday evening is a “worrisome development” and a source of concern.

Razzaz pointed out that the source of the infection must be verified, as the majority were recorded at the Jaber Border Crossing, noting that authorities must take immediate measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

The PM hoped to overcome this pandemic and the second wave that many countries in the world and the region are facing, calling upon Jordanians to take this issue seriously.

As of Monday, Jordan recorded 1,283 virus cases including 1,189 recoveries and 11 deaths. Also, 66 persons are still receiving treatment in two specialized hospitals.

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Tunisia Dismantles Makeshift Camp Housing Thousands of Sub-Saharan Migrants

Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sit at a house in Tunis on February 2, 2025. Fethi Beland, AFP
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sit at a house in Tunis on February 2, 2025. Fethi Beland, AFP
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Tunisia Dismantles Makeshift Camp Housing Thousands of Sub-Saharan Migrants

Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sit at a house in Tunis on February 2, 2025. Fethi Beland, AFP
Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sit at a house in Tunis on February 2, 2025. Fethi Beland, AFP

Tunisian authorities have dismantled makeshift camps housing 7,000 undocumented sub-Saharan African migrants and begun forcibly deporting some of them, a senior official told Reuters on Saturday, as the country grapples with an unprecedented migrant crisis.
Houssem Eddine Jebabli, an official in the National Guard, told Reuters a number of migrants was arrested for violence during the ongoing operation. He said their forced repatriation began Friday night and the authorities are also seeking to voluntarily repatriate thousands more.
He said the number forcibly deported was significant, without specifying how many, and that bladed weapons, including knives and swords, were seized.
Jabbabli added that investigations with the detainees showed their connections with foreign parties to spread confusion in the camps and in the surrounding areas.
The camps had prompted anger from residents in nearby villages, raising pressure on the authorities.
Jebabli said locals had taken legal action over the occupation of their olive groves by the migrants.
Tunisia's government said about 20,000 of migrants live in tents in forests in southern towns, such as Amra and Jbeniana, after authorities prevented them from travelling across the Mediterranean.
Migrants have frequently clashed with local residents, who want them deported from their area.
Tunisian President Kais Saied on March 25 called on the International Organization for Migration to accelerate voluntary returns for irregular migrants to their home countries.
Tunisia has earned praise from Italian authorities in recent months for its progress in stemming the flow of thousands of migrants from sub-Sahran Africa who are trying to reach Europe in boats.