Minister Al-Assadi criticizes illegal Pakistani workers in Iraq, calls for action

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Ahmed Al-Assadi, criticized the large number of Pakistani workers in Iraq, with many of them being illegal, emphasizing the ongoing need to address the situation of foreign workers due to significant economic and security pressures they impose. He highlighted instances where foreign workers have been linked to criminal activities.

While receiving the Pakistani Ambassador to Iraq, Muhammad Zeeshan Ahmed, Al-Assadi said that "the government decided to regularize the status of illegal foreign workers, focusing on Pakistani and Bangladeshi ones. The Ministry of Labor initially set a 45-day deadline for correcting their status, which was extended two months ago."

In this context, Al-Assadi confirmed, “Following labor corrections, the Ministry will conduct inspection campaigns with the Ministry of Interior to control and repatriate illegal workers."

Moreover, he mentioned “an understanding draft between Iraq and Pakistan on employment, not signed for 10 years.” He also emphasized “the ministry's readiness to fully cooperate in addressing Pakistani workers' status,” highlighting “the importance of upcoming meetings to finalize a memorandum that can significantly reduce foreign worker presence in the country.”