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The U.S. State Department has
just issued its 2017 Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction
under the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (ICAPRA). The
following is the Country Summary and related information from the eighth
country listed as “Noncompliant” in the report, Jordan:
Country Summary:
Jordan does not adhere to any protocols with respect to international parental
child abduction. In 2006, the United States and Jordan signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to encourage voluntary resolution of abduction cases and
facilitate consular access to abducted children. In 2016, Jordan demonstrated a
pattern of noncompliance. The United States formally notified the Jordanian
government of nine abduction cases in January of 2016. These cases have been open
for an average of four and a half years, with the longest open for more than 12
years. Jordanian authorities have not responded to the U.S. request for
assistance in resolving these abduction cases. Jordan has been cited as
non-compliant since 2014.
Central Authority:
In 2016, the competent authorities in Jordan demonstrated a pattern of
noncompliance by regularly declining to work toward the resolution of pending
abduction cases. Jordanian authorities have not responded to applications for
assistance with the return of children presented to them in 2016. Further,
authorities have not discussed the larger issue of international parental child
abduction nor addressed remedies for left-behind parents in general.
Voluntary Resolution:
In 2016, three abduction cases were resolved through voluntary means. Location:
The Department of State did not formally request assistance with location from
the Jordanian authorities.
Judicial Authorities:
The Department is aware of three cases where left-behind parents sought
remedies through Jordanian courts. In two cases, the left-behind parents sought
and were granted temporary access orders while they worked to affect the return
of their children to their habitual residences. In another case, the
left-behind parent started custody proceedings in Jordanian courts, which are
still ongoing.
Enforcement: The
United States is not aware of any abduction cases in which a judicial order
relating to international parental child abduction needed to be enforced by the
Jordanian authorities.
Department
Recommendations: The Department will continue its efforts to persuade
Jordan to accede to the Convention and expand public diplomacy activities
related to the resolution of cases. The Department also recommends an emphasis
on preventing abductions.
