Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the head of the Strategic Center for Human Rights, Dr. Fadel Al-Gharawi confirmed that there are currently one million illegal migrant workers in Iraq.

Al-Gharawi told Shafaq News Agency that “43,000 foreign workers are registered with the Ministry of Labor in 2024.”

“The average salary for a foreign worker in Iraq is $700, compared to $270 for a local worker,” he said, highlighting “a 26% unemployment rate for local workers versus unregistered foreign workers.”

Al-Gharawi further noted that “in 2023, 34% of Iraqi workers aged 15-24 are employed, with a 15.5% unemployment rate. This compares to 35% employment and over 16% unemployment in 2022, and 36.8% employment with a 16.23% unemployment rate in 2021.”

Moreover, he noted that “registered expatriate workers transfer $600 million annually out of Iraq, while unregistered workers send $4.2 billion, impacting the national economy negatively.”

“Foreign workers enter Iraq through smuggling, human trafficking, tourist visas, or investment licenses as experts. Most are unskilled and come from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Syria,” he clarified.

In this context, the specialist urged the government and parliament to amend the Labor Law and impose stricter penalties on companies that hire unlicensed foreign workers.

He requested the Ministry of Labor “to enforce Resolutions (33) for foreign worker registration and to collaborate with the Ministry of Interior on a campaign to deport unlicensed workers and those with expired visas,” calling for “intensified efforts against human trafficking and improved security and intelligence cooperation with Arab, regional, and international partners.”

Additionally, he recommended declaring “2026 as the year free of unlicensed foreign workers.”