PM:03:43:29/04/2025
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The Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs announced a ban on bringing workers from five countries, aiming to strengthen local employment and reduce the outflow of foreign remittances.
Ministry spokesman Hassan Khawam said Tuesday that the ban applies to workers from Syria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, countries whose workers send around $2 billion annually back to their home nations.
The move is in line with a decision by the Secretariat General of the Council of Ministers, which mandates that any investor or employer establishing a project in Iraq must employ 80% local workers and only 20% foreign workers.
Khawam added that there are currently between 150,000 and 200,000 foreign workers in Iraq, whose economic activities significantly impact the country’s financial landscape.