Iraq to launch campaign to deport illegal foreign workers

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Ministry of Labor, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, has announced plans for an extensive inspection campaign to identify and deport undocumented foreign workers from the country.

Najm Al-Aqabi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor, told the state-owned newspaper Al-Sabah that the campaign will soon begin, with a focus on apprehending illegal foreign workers and returning them to their home countries. “The ministry will soon initiate intensive inspection campaigns to apprehend and deport illegal foreign labor,” Al-Aqabi said.

Al-Aqabi also emphasized that many foreign workers and the companies employing them are violating Iraqi labor regulations. He warned that legal action, including substantial fines, will be imposed on companies found to be hiring undocumented workers. “There is clear evasion by these workers, and companies involved will face legal measures and substantial fines,” he added.

The campaign is also aimed at regulating foreign labor to ensure that illegal workers do not compete with Iraqi citizens for jobs. “Correcting their legal status is essential to prevent illegal workers from entering the labor market and competing with local labor,” Al-Aqabi said.

Iraq is home to an estimated one million foreign workers, according to the Ministry of Labor. However, only 71,000 of them are officially registered with work contracts.

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, financial advisor to the prime minister, noted that foreign workers send about $2 billion in annual remittances out of Iraq. He also highlighted that most of these workers are unregistered and lack specialized skills. “Only 15% of the foreign workforce in Iraq consists of highly skilled or specialized workers,” Saleh said.

The remaining 85% are low- or medium-skilled workers, many of whom stay in Iraq illegally after their work contracts expire, he explained. Saleh stressed the need for “legal and security measures” to address the issue of illegal labor, which he said is putting pressure on Iraq’s infrastructure and public services, such as housing and healthcare.

The rise in foreign workers comes as Iraq’s unemployment rate has slightly increased. A report by German data firm Statista noted that Iraq’s unemployment rate rose to 15.56% in 2023, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 3.31% from 2022.

Additionally, in July, Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, disclosed that 50,000 Pakistani pilgrims who visited Iraq for the Ashura ceremony had gone missing. Many of them were found to have stayed in Iraq seeking work.

Iraq’s Labor Law No. 37 of 2015 requires foreign workers to obtain valid residency and work permits. These permits are issued by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor and involve registration, medical checks, and compliance with various formalities.