Jordan's Labour Ministry begins crackdown on illegal foreign workers

AMMAN - The Labour Ministry on Sunday announced that it has launched an inspection campaign to crack down on illegal foreign workers.

Labour Ministry Spokesperson Mohammad Zyoud said that the decision to crack down on illegal foreign workers comes after a recent decision by Labour Minister Maen Qatamen to allow foreign workers to leave Jordan without paying fines until the end of May 2021, as long as they do not return to the Kingdom.

However, only few of them have taken advantage of this opportunity, the spokesperson said,

He also noted that the Council of Ministers had decided to exempt foreign workers who wish to stay in Jordan from 80 per cent of fines until the end of January.

The government did not carry out any inspection campaigns during the lockdown and briefly stopped deportations as airports were closed due to pandemic-induced travel restrictions, he said.

Last week, the Labour Ministry allowed farmers, whose foreign workers have left the Kingdom, to recruit foreign replacement workers.

The Labour Ministry also allowed the renewal of all expired permits of foreign workers in the agricultural sector, the spokesperson said.