Given the challenge associated with Jerash camp’s location, we first look at commuting and transport, before turning to the type of work Jerash residents engage in outside of their camp. Commuting and transport: substantial barriers Jerash camp residents explained that work is available to them in the industrial and informal sectors in Amman and Zarqa; however, transport poses a major obstacle. As has been documented elsewhere, public transport serves to stratify the Jordanian population socio-economically (Parker, 2009), and cost, irregularity in service, long wait times and travel durations remain a major obstacle to employment across many parts of Jordan (International Youth Foundation, 2014; Danish Refugee Council, 2017; Tiltnes, Zhang and Pedersen, 2019, pp. 130–134). Not surprisingly, both the price and the availability of reliable public transport came up in almost all interviews as a factor complicating commutes and exacerbating Jerash camp residents’ already vulnerable position in the labour market. Transport grievances pivoted around four partially interlinked concerns. First, interviewees noted the lack of services at required hours to the camp. Thus, for example, whilst bus services operate directly to and from Jerash camp for some hours in the morning (6 am till 10 am), after this time they only stop in Jerash city, without going as far as the camp, making commuting considerably longer: When you leave [Amman], he [the bus driver] cannot drop you at the camp; because he wants to drop you off and hurry back, he will drop you at the bus station [in Jerash city]. But the bus station is a long way from the camp, and the roads are bad and uneven so the car has to go slowly, so if I want to get to the camp, I’ll be another half an hour or an hour later118. Furthermore, public transport only operates during the day and early evening. Residents working late shifts in restaurants or on building sites in Amman reported being unable to catch the bus back to Jerash city and thus incurring additional costs on shared taxis all the way from Amman, considerably increasing transport costs. Second, poor reliability of public transport severely limits residents’ ability to predictably commute to work. Even though buses may run, scarce space and uncoordinated services make commuting on public transport lengthy and reaching work on time problematic. Consequently, interviewees told us: Employers prefer to hire people who live close to the workplace. This ensures that they are not late and will remain at work. But if they hired Gazans who live far, they would end up being more tired, and would not stay for long hours at work. That’s the difference between those who live in Amman and those who live in the camp119. Third, and linked to poor reliability and limited services, is cost. Irrespective of whether residents sought to commute independently to Amman, the agricultural areas of Mafraq or even to Jerash city, the cost of transport makes daily-paid work or work in low-paid sectors, such as agriculture and construction, barely feasible. The 2.5 to 3.5 JD fee each way (depending on where in Amman you are going to) is clearly a major encroachment into a 15 to 20 JD daily salary for those making their way to Amman or Sweileh 120 — some only in the hope of being picked up and gaining a day’s work. As one woman explained: Focus group discussion with men, Jerash camp, 21 October 2015. Male, age 40s, Manshiyyeh, 31 January 2016. 120 District in the north of Amman governorate which serves as a connection point, by means of main roads, to cities north of Amman (Salt, Irbid, Jerash, Ramtha). 118 119 ‘Just getting by’ Ex-Gazans in Jerash and other refugee camps in Jordan 95