African domestic workers: A marker of social status in Iraq
Shafaq News
The presence of African domestic workers accompanying Iraqi families in markets and public spaces has increasingly come to symbolize wealth and social standing, reflecting a broader shift in how household labor is perceived in parts of urban society.
That shift is often driven by social expectations within families themselves. Speaking with Shafaq News, Baghdad contractor Salam Keitan said his wife made the continuation of their marriage conditional on hiring an educated foreign domestic worker whom she could present to relatives and friends as “evidence of the comfort and lifestyle he provides.” He added that employing such workers involves significant financial commitments, including recruitment fees, monthly wages, residency costs, medical examinations, and return airfare at the end of the contract.
Mhaymen Al-Rudaini, a recruitment office owner, noted that some families now view the availability of a domestic worker as an informal requirement in marriage arrangements, reinforcing the association between foreign domestic labor and social prestige.
Alongside social display, practical considerations also play a role. Lawyer Sara Al-Bahrani affirmed that hiring an African caregiver allowed her to continue her legal career after years spent caring for her disabled mother.
The demand has fueled a growing recruitment market, with Saif Al-Dubai, who runs a labor agency in Baghdad, confirming that offices coordinate with partners in several African countries to bring workers to Iraq under renewable two-year contracts. He added that many workers choose to extend their contracts to remain longer and improve their earnings.
Read more: Foreign workers flood Iraq: A threat to local jobs
Hassan Khuwam, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, revealed to our agency that about 47,000 foreign workers are formally registered in Iraq, while no reliable figures exist for undocumented labor. A source at the Interior Ministry clarified that incomplete residency renewals and weak compliance by recruitment offices hinder accurate tracking.
Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.
