Access to Rights (A2R): Digitising Legal Access for Refugees and Host Communities in Jordan
Building inclusive and sustainable pathways to legal rights
The Access to Rights (A2R) project is a multi-year collaboration between Seefar and the Norwegian Refugee Council, supporting Jordan's Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD) in its efforts to enhance legal inclusion and service delivery. At its core, the project aims to reduce barriers to civil documentation for refugees and vulnerable Jordanians by digitising key government services, modernising workflows, and expanding public access to legal information.
These efforts have been especially critical for Syrian refugees, many of whom face difficulties in registering births, marriages, and other essential civil processes. A2R responds to this gap through a blend of strategic digitalisation, legal content development, and public outreach.
Note: This project is still ongoing. The results presented here are from preliminary reports.
The Challenge
Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians face significant barriers to accessing civil documentation, including birth registration, marriage records, and legal status, due to outdated systems, long wait times, and lack of accessible legal information.
Our Approach
Seefar and NRC partnered with Jordan's CSPD to digitise civil records, develop a user-friendly legal information platform, deploy an online ticketing system, and roll out digital signage across government offices, removing barriers at every step.
Project Details
| Timeline | January 2022 – October 2025 |
| Countries | Jordan (90 CSPD offices including Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa) |
| Target Audience | Syrian refugees, non-Jordanian residents, vulnerable Jordanians |
| Beneficiaries Reached | Over 5 million documents digitised; 2M+ social media engagements; 1.4M+ post interactions |
How the Project Worked
Jesr: A Digital Bridge to Legal Information
At the heart of the project lies Jesr, a platform that provides clear, accessible information about legal documentation and rights. Developed in both Arabic and English, Jesr includes a standalone website and an active Facebook page, both tailored to the needs of refugees and host communities.
The platform offers comprehensive guidance on topics such as birth registration, marriage and divorce documentation, and procedures for accessing housing, land, and property rights. Jesr has already reached over two million people and recorded more than 1.4 million interactions. Website traffic continues to grow, with nearly 160,000 users clicking through to access legal resources.
Many users, including those with limited digital literacy, have shared that Jesr has helped them understand complex administrative procedures.
"Jesr explained everything in a simple way. I saved so much time figuring out which papers to bring and where to go."
– Syrian user from Zarqa
The online ticketing system developed to simplify appointment scheduling across CSPD offices, Jordan
Digitising Government Archives for Greater Access
One of A2R's most ambitious and impactful components has been the digital archiving of CSPD's civil records. As of the end of 2024, over five million documents have been successfully digitised. This work has significantly improved both the accessibility and security of critical civil documentation.
For Syrian refugees, it means not having to travel to a specific CSPD office to retrieve paper records. For CSPD, it means faster retrieval, better organisation, and less administrative overhead.
"This has helped us archive documents electronically and speed up processing times without the need for citizens to bring in large amounts of paperwork. This makes things much easier and faster, especially for non-Jordanians."
– CSPD employeeMaking Wait Times Smarter: Online Ticketing and Digital Signage
In response to widespread complaints about long waits and confusing procedures, A2R developed and deployed a nationwide online ticketing system that is now live in 28 CSPD offices. The system allows citizens and refugees alike to reserve appointments online, check office availability, and receive updates about their services.
The platform was upgraded to manage over 3,700 simultaneous requests, and work is underway to integrate the system with Jordan's national e-governance portal, SANAD.
To further improve communication within offices, A2R is also implementing a digital signage system across CSPD locations. These screens display real-time service information, including required documents, current wait times, and legal procedure updates. The system is already fully operational at CSPD headquarters and is being scaled up to 85 locations across the country.
Digital signage screened in CSPD offices to display real-time service information, Amman, Jordan
Key Achievements
Website launched in Arabic and English to support inclusivity and access
2,000,000+ social media engagements via Jesr platform
5,000,000+ civil documents archived (Jordanian and refugee)
90 CSPD offices equipped with digital tools
Online ticketing system live in 28 locations, serving 3,700+ concurrent users
Digital signage rollout underway in 85 offices
Estimated savings of $4.7 million per year in government service delivery
123 CSPD staff trained in new systems and digital services
Learning and Looking Forward
A2R has demonstrated that solutions driven by technology can fundamentally transform how governments deliver civil services to vulnerable populations. By digitising records, streamlining appointments, and making legal information publicly accessible, the project has removed longstanding barriers that disproportionately affected Syrian refugees and non-Jordanian residents.
The estimated $4.7 million in annual government savings underscores that inclusive, rights-based programming is not only the right thing to do – it is also fiscally smart. Digitisation reduces costs, improves efficiency, and creates more equitable access to services for everyone.
As the project continues through 2025, the focus will be on completing the digital signage rollout across all 85 offices, integrating the ticketing system with Jordan's national e-governance portal, and continuing to grow Jesr's reach among refugees and host communities who need it most.