Increase in foreign workers in Iraq deepens unemployment, raises concerns about security clearances

Posted on[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] by [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Increase in foreign workers in Iraq deepens unemployment, raises concerns about security clearances[/size]

[size=45]Iraq faces major challenges in terms of foreign labor, as the number of non-local workers has increased significantly.[/size]
[size=45]One of the most prominent damages resulting from this phenomenon is the increase in the unemployment rate among Iraqis, which exacerbates the national economic crisis and widens the gap between local and foreign workers.[/size]
[size=45]In addition, reports indicate that many foreign workers operate without official security clearances, raising concerns about national safety and security, and increasing challenges in the area of ​​oversight and regulation.[/size]
[size=45]The Ministry of Interior announced the formation of a special committee to address the issue of foreign workers, while excluding 12,000 violators during the first half of this year.[/size]
[size=45]The official spokesman for the ministry, Brigadier General Muqdad Miri, stated that “the committee includes representatives from the Ministries of Immigration, Labor and Social Affairs, and the Intelligence Service. It held its first meeting last week, and studied in detail everything related to labor, whether those who entered legally or otherwise.”[/size]
[size=45]He added that "12,000 were excluded during the first half of 2024," noting that "the number of those who entered the country during the same period amounted to two million and 259 thousand foreigners, of whom two million and 34 left, while the remaining ones have not yet expired their entry visas."[/size]
[size=45]For his part, economic expert Saeed Saber explains that “foreign labor may compete with local labor for jobs, which could lead to increased unemployment rates among Iraqis, especially in sectors that require few skills.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "The money earned by foreign workers may be transferred to their home countries instead of being spent in Iraq, which could reduce the flow of money within the local economy and negatively affect economic growth."[/size]
[size=45]He added, "The presence of foreign workers may put pressure on wages in some sectors, especially if foreign workers are willing to work for lower wages, which may lead to a reduction in wages for local workers."[/size]
[size=45]Saber explained that “foreign labor may lead to changes in the social and cultural structure, which may cause tensions between the local community and foreign workers.”[/size]
[size=45]The economic specialist continued, “Reliance on foreign labor may reduce the need to train and develop local competencies, which could hinder the sustainable growth of human capabilities in the country.”[/size]
[size=45]The number of foreign workers in Iraq is increasing day by day, while the unemployment rate among the Iraqi workforce is on the rise.[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs stated that very few of these workers obtained work permits from the ministry, and “hundreds of thousands of foreign workers work without permits and illegally, and this has had a significant negative impact on the economic and social sectors.”[/size]
[size=45]According to the latest statistics, more than one million foreign workers work in Iraq, the vast majority of whom are illegal workers and do not have records. Of these, only 71,000 workers have work permits, or only 7.1 percent.[/size]
[size=45]According to the same source, more than 900,000 foreign workers, or 92.9 percent, work illegally in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]International statistics indicate that more than 6 million Iraqi workers are unemployed, and with the influx of foreign workers, the number is increasing, and the unemployment rate among domestic workers has reached more than 29%. According to experts, the large number of foreign workers working illegally in Iraq has become a threat to many sectors, including: the lack of a clear vision by the Iraqi authorities to create job opportunities for local workers and depriving Iraqi youth of job opportunities, because this number is the majority of foreign workers.[/size]
[size=45]According to the Iraqi Parliament's Labor Committee, more than $4.2 billion paid annually to foreign workers in hard currency is smuggled abroad, which has had a negative impact on the financial sector and the Iraqi economy.[/size]
[size=45]Given the lack of recorded information on the whereabouts and identity of foreign workers without work permits, they have become a major security threat.[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]