Iraq deports 55 residency law violators through Najaf and Basra airports

BAGHDAD — Iraq deported 55 foreign nationals for violating Residency Law No. 76 of 2017 through Najaf and Basra international airports, the Interior Ministry announced.

The ministry said in a statement that the deportations were carried out by the Residency Affairs Department in Maysan under the supervision of the director general of Civil Status, Passports, and Residency.

Authorities confirmed that operations to monitor and detain residency violators are ongoing, and legal measures will continue to be taken against those who do not comply with the law.

Residency Law No. 76 of 2017, which regulates the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners in Iraq, replaced a 1978 statute and remains the framework under which foreign labor is monitored and violations are prosecuted.

Iraqi security forces arrested 85 foreign nationals, including several Arabs, for violating residency regulations during a large-scale security operation in the capital last week.

Earlier this month, police in Babil detained 113 foreign nationals for violating residency regulations during a coordinated inspection campaign at a factory in the northern part of the governorate.