32 foreign nationals arrested in Anbar for violating residency and labor rules

ANBAR — Iraq’s Military Intelligence Directorate announced Sunday the arrest of 32 foreign nationals in Anbar governorate for working and residing in the country without legal documentation.

According to a statement, the directorate said the arrests came as part of efforts “to eliminate the phenomenon of foreign labor entering the country illegally.”

The operation was carried out in coordination with security agencies across operational sectors. The statement noted that “an accurate intelligence operation and field surveillance by the Intelligence and Security Department of the 10th Infantry Division” resulted in the arrests.

The individuals have been handed over to the appropriate authorities “according to the applicable procedures,” the statement added.

Iraq has been intensifying enforcement against undocumented foreign workers in recent years. The Labour Ministry said it deported “more than 20,000 foreign workers in 2024, and more than 14,000 in 2025,” all without work permits, bringing the two-year total to over 34,000. According to ministry spokesperson Hassan Khawam, employers are required to hire “80 percent Iraqi labor and 20 percent foreign labor,” with inspectors visiting worksites to monitor compliance.

Earlier this month, Military Intelligence Directorate forces arrested four foreign nationals attempting to enter Nineveh Governorate illegally.

In late November, Basra’s Residency Affairs Department said it deported 56 foreigners who violated residency rules through the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran, warning that remaining violators will face the same measures.

Authorities have also carried out security operations targeting unlicensed labor. On Aug. 26, 2025, Baghdad Operations Command said it arrested 85 foreign nationals in raids across the eastern neighborhoods of Kamaliya and Fadhiliya.