Iraqi Labor Ministry spox says 700,000 workers covered by social security

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said Tuesday that more than 700,000 workers are now covered by the country’s labor social security system.

Ministry spokesperson Hassan Khawam said coverage has expanded after the launch of a new digital platform designed to simplify enrollment and payments for private-sector workers.

“The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, through the Retirement and Social Security Department for Workers, has launched the digital social security system, which is an electronic platform supported by an electronic payment mechanism,” Khawam said. He added that the system “aims to facilitate access to services, especially the payment of workers’ contributions in the private sector, whether for projects or individuals.”

Khawam said the platform applies to workers subject to mandatory enrollment by employers as well as those seeking voluntary enrollment.

“Electronic payment helps facilitate procedures, saves time and grants subscribers all the privileges stipulated in the Retirement and Social Security Law, which are comparable to the privileges granted to employees in the government sector,” he said.

On foreign labor, Khawam said recruitment is regulated under Labor Law No. 37 of 2015 and includes stricter requirements for bringing in non-Iraqi workers.

“Procedures for bringing in foreign labor have been tightened, as it is required that they be skilled workers and possess proven experience supported by a certified experience certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

He said Iraqi workers with the same qualifications must be offered positions first.

“Before granting approval for recruitment, Iraqi labor that has the same expertise and skills is presented to the employer,” Khawam said. “If an agreement is reached, there is no need to bring in foreign labor, but if the Iraqi worker declines the opportunity, the employer is allowed to recruit foreign labor in accordance with approved legal procedures.”

Khawam said the government is enforcing a Cabinet decision that caps foreign workers at 20 percent of the workforce, compared with 80 percent Iraqi labor.

“For every foreign worker, there must be four Iraqi workers,” he said, adding that ministry inspectors implement the requirement on the ground. He said violations can lead to projects being referred to labor courts “to take legal action against the employer.”

Khawam said 47,000 foreign workers are officially registered in the Labor and Vocational Training Department database and hold valid work permits. He added that there are no accurate figures for foreign workers who entered illegally, but said the ministry is coordinating with the Interior Ministry’s Residency Directorate.

He said the Residency Directorate deported “more than 34,000 undocumented or violating foreign workers during 2025,” adding that deportations in previous years “contributed to enhancing job opportunities for Iraqi workers, especially youth, and regulating the presence of foreign labor.” He stressed that “deportation procedures fall within the authority of the Ministry of Interior.”

Khawam said about 700,000 Iraqi workers in both the formal and informal sectors are currently covered by social security. He said the informal sector includes self-employed workers such as taxi drivers, shop owners, blacksmiths, carpenters and others “who are not linked to an employer.”

Iraq has stepped up enforcement against unlicensed foreign labor over the past two years. The Ministry of Interior said in January that 691 foreign workers were arrested for violating residency laws after the end of a legal status adjustment period, while the Ministry of Labor has repeatedly estimated that the number of unregulated foreign workers in the country is close to one million. Officials have said foreign workers send billions of dollars in remittances out of Iraq each year, a factor cited by the government in intensifying labor regulation and inspections.