4,658 foreign violators have been arrested so far, Residence Directorate

INA - BAGHDAD
Iraqi Directorate of Residence Affairs announced on Tuesday, the arrest of 4,658 foreign violators since the beginning of the year, clarifying how violating leak into Iraq, and specifying the reasons for issuing an entry ban decision.

“The violating foreigners who are inside Iraq are not only foreign workers, but some of them entered Iraq for tourism or visiting religious or archaeological centers, but they fail to leave within the legal period granted to them,” said the Head of the Directorate, Human Rights Major General Hussein Al-Yassari, to the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

He added, "The legal period granted to foreigners is one month if they are for visit or tourism, and it can be extended once, for if this period exceeds without an extension, it is considered a violation. Foreign workers are concentrated among Asian nationalities, mainly from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Their entry into Iraq shall be based on a visit or tourism, or through the Kurdistan region, or smuggling.”

“A group of them came to work in Iraq after its economic openness in exchange for the deteriorating living conditions in their countries. If they do not enter into employment contracts, they violate the Residence Law and the Labor Law, as the Residency Directorate’s procedures against them are applied by the articles of Residence Law No. 76 of 2017. It is limited from Articles 24 to Article 35 of the law, to following them up, arresting them, fining them for violating the law, and then deporting them. If the deportation is implemented, they will be banned from entering Iraq for two years. We have in the law deportation and deportation," Al-Yassari explained.

He pointed out, "A foreigner is not allowed to work in Iraq if he does not obtain the approval of the Ministry of Labor. Since 2024 until now, 4,658 foreign violators have been arrested, and legal measures have been taken against them and deported to their country. The toll is rising, as the number of depositors is currently with us according to the outcome of the recent operations, 1,600, and we are currently preparing them for deportation to their country.”

"In 2023, the statistics for violators reached 8,045. Legal measures were taken against them and deported to their country. We expect an increase in arrests and deportations of violators this year," he concluded.