ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Police in Diyala province said Monday they arrested 42 foreign workers after intercepting a tanker allegedly attempting to smuggle them into the province.
Haytham al-Shamari, a spokesperson for the Diyala police, told Rudaw that tens of Pakistani workers “had come from one of the northern provinces, were concealed inside a tanker, and were discovered and arrested based on intelligence information.”
Police said the tanker was seized at a temporary market in the al-Khalis district’s Jadid Shatt subdistrict.
According to the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, about 47,000 foreign workers are officially registered in Iraq and hold valid work permits. Unregistered workers are deported to their home countries.
Hassan Khawam, a spokesperson for the ministry, told Rudaw on Thursday that over the past two years, Iraq has deported 55,000 foreign workers for working illegally, barring them from re-entering the country for two years.
Of those, 20,000 foreign workers were repatriated in 2024, while another 35,000 were returned to their countries last year, Khawam said.
Under a 2024 decision by the Iraqi Council of Ministers, investors and employers are required to ensure that no more than 20 percent of their workforce consists of foreign nationals, with the remainder being Iraqi citizens.
Foreign workers must also pay a fee of 250,000 Iraqi dinars (about $166) to work legally in Iraq.
Last year, Iraq announced a temporary ban on foreign workers from Syria and four South Asian countries.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report from Erbil.
Haytham al-Shamari, a spokesperson for the Diyala police, told Rudaw that tens of Pakistani workers “had come from one of the northern provinces, were concealed inside a tanker, and were discovered and arrested based on intelligence information.”
Police said the tanker was seized at a temporary market in the al-Khalis district’s Jadid Shatt subdistrict.
According to the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, about 47,000 foreign workers are officially registered in Iraq and hold valid work permits. Unregistered workers are deported to their home countries.
Hassan Khawam, a spokesperson for the ministry, told Rudaw on Thursday that over the past two years, Iraq has deported 55,000 foreign workers for working illegally, barring them from re-entering the country for two years.
Of those, 20,000 foreign workers were repatriated in 2024, while another 35,000 were returned to their countries last year, Khawam said.
Under a 2024 decision by the Iraqi Council of Ministers, investors and employers are required to ensure that no more than 20 percent of their workforce consists of foreign nationals, with the remainder being Iraqi citizens.
Foreign workers must also pay a fee of 250,000 Iraqi dinars (about $166) to work legally in Iraq.
Last year, Iraq announced a temporary ban on foreign workers from Syria and four South Asian countries.
Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report from Erbil.
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