Growing Foreign Workers in Iraq: Escalating Economic and Legal Challenges

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[size=52]Growing Foreign Workers in Iraq: Escalating Economic and Legal Challenges[/size]

[size=45]In recent years, Iraq has witnessed a significant increase in the number of foreign immigrants who have moved to work or reside in countries such as Syria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and others.[/size]
[size=45]This increase has posed multiple challenges to the Iraqi authorities, especially in the economic, social and legal aspects, as many of these residents work without residence or work permits, making this issue one of the most prominent hot files on the national scene today.[/size]
[size=45]The number of foreign residents in Iraq is estimated at hundreds of thousands, according to government reports. Although the Iraqi Ministry of Labor has granted official residency permits to more than 71,000 foreign workers, the actual number of unauthorized residents is much higher.[/size]
[size=45]According to the Iraqi News Agency in April 2023, these numbers include several nationalities such as Syrians who fled the conflict in their country, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and some other Asian countries, looking for job opportunities.[/size]
[size=45]The relative stability that Iraq has witnessed in recent years, especially the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, was not the only reason that attracted foreigners to Mesopotamia. There are other factors, such as the need of local markets for labor as a result of the weak training and qualification of the local labor force.[/size]
[size=45]The large disparity in salaries between Iraq and labor-exporting countries, such as Syria and Pakistan, also played a major role in attracting foreigners to reside there.[/size]
[size=45]According to a study published by the Center for Strategic Studies and International Research in 2022, Iraq is a preferred destination for Syrian workers, especially with the economic crisis that Syria is experiencing. Many of these workers enter Iraq as religious visitors during Shiite occasions, then stay to work illegally.[/size]
[size=45]Legal status[/size]
[size=45]However, a large segment of foreign residents suffer from difficulties related to the lack of legal status, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. They are also exposed to the risk of deportation, especially with the inspection campaigns launched by the Iraqi authorities.[/size]
[size=45]Human Rights Watch issued a report in June 2023 criticizing the Iraqi government’s security campaigns against Syrian workers, describing them as “arbitrary arrests.” The organization noted cases of deportation that included individuals holding official residency permits.[/size]
[size=45]According to a 2023 study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, foreign workers face challenges including lack of legal rights, lack of health insurance, and long working hours, sometimes up to 16 hours a day.[/size]
[size=45]In contrast, the government has difficulty controlling the large numbers who enter the country illegally or circumvent residency laws, and is trying to control the status of foreign residents through initiatives aimed at regulating their presence.[/size]
[size=45]Campaign to settle the situation[/size]
[size=45]In November 2024, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior launched a campaign to settle the legal status of foreign residents, with applications available electronically to settle residency until the end of December.[/size]
[size=45]In addition, the Ministry of Labor is trying to reduce the percentage of foreign workers in companies to 30% to enhance job opportunities for Iraqis, according to a statement by the spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Najm Al-Aqabi, on November 16, especially with the presence of more than 1.6 million unemployed Iraqis according to statistics from the Ministry of Planning.[/size]
[size=45]On the economic front, the transfer of money by foreign workers abroad constitutes an additional burden on the Iraqi economy. The Prime Minister’s economic advisor, Mazhar Mohammed Salih, estimated that these transfers amount to two billion dollars annually.[/size]
[size=45]Given Iraq’s near-total dependence on oil revenues, the outflow of this money exacerbates the country’s economic diversification crisis. However, some see foreign workers as filling gaps in the labor market, especially in sectors that Iraqis are reluctant to work in.[/size]
[size=45]Finally, according to a report issued by the International Labor Organization in 2021, 60% of foreign workers in Iraq work in difficult conditions that are not welcomed by the local workforce.[/size]
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