The Nigerian Commission for Diaspora Affairs has revealed that more than 5,000 Nigerian women are currently detained in Iraq after traveling there in search of work.
Abike Dabiri Erewa, the Chairperson of the Commission, stated to Nigerian media that these women are facing significant hardships. She noted that one Nigerian woman recently died under suspicious circumstances while working in Iraq. Efforts are underway to repatriate her body and investigate the cause of her death.
Erewa urged Nigerians to seek local employment opportunities to avoid putting their lives at risk abroad.
On the Iraqi side, Najm Al-Aqabi, the spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, explained to “Rudaw” media that the ministry’s role is to issue work permits after receiving medical reports confirming that workers are free from any diseases.
He stated that security checks are conducted on workers before they are assigned to companies or employers, provided they entered Iraq legally. Regarding domestic workers, Al-Aqabi clarified that once all conditions are met, the licensed agency or the sponsor of the family employing the worker assumes full responsibility.
According to the Iraqi Labor Union, nearly one million foreign workers are currently employed in Iraq, with approximately 70% of them lacking official work permits.
Additionally, Serwa Mohammed, the Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Women, Family, and Childhood in Iraq, told “Rudaw” that some of these women and workers are illegally transported to Iraq, often through the UAE or other Gulf countries, making it difficult to obtain accurate information about domestic workers.
She further stated that her committee is closely monitoring the issue and plans to summon relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Interior, next week.
Under Iraqi labor law, no foreign worker is permitted to work without a permit from the Ministry of Labor. Employers are required to cover the cost of the worker’s travel to Iraq, and in the event of the worker’s death, they must bear the cost of repatriating the body to their home country.
Source: “Rudaw” + The Trumpet Newspaper Nigeria
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