Iraq to raid industrial areas to effort to tackle child labour

The Iraqi Ministry of Labour announced a new plan to curb child labour, amid growing human rights concerns over its increasing prevalence. Experts attribute the issue to rising poverty and children dropping out of school.

Iraq ranks fourth among Arab countries in terms of child labour, despite labour laws banning child under the age of 15 from working. However statistics from the Ministry of Planning indicate that around 1.1 million Iraqi children are deprived of their rights to education and healthcare.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) previously warned about the impact of rising poverty rates on Iraqi children. The organisation urged action to create a comprehensive protection system for children, who make up the majority of the 4.5 million Iraqis at risk of poverty due to conflict-related consequences.

In a press briefing last Sunday, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs spokesperson, Najm Al-Aqabi, said: “The ministry has formed ten committees to monitor and combat child labour, following the registration of 600 cases in Baghdad last year. The law penalises employers who hire children under the age of 15.”

Al-Aqabi explained that “the ministry has developed a comprehensive plan to address the issue, which includes offering social protection salaries or loans to affected families, as well as obtaining commitments from parents not to force their children to work or to drop out of school.

The ministry is closely monitoring the situation, particularly in industrial areas. In the coming weeks, weekly field campaigns will be conducted to spot violators, with offenders being referred to the relevant authorities, he added.

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