Labour minister stresses need to reduce foreign labour

AMMAN — Minister of Labour Ali Ghezawi on Monday said that the ministry's plans are in line with the government's executive programme, stressing the importance of the decision to stop allowing foreign workers into the country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The decision, he said, will offer more job opportunities to Jordanians and help mitigate unemployment. The minister noted that preliminary estimates indicate that there are 750,000 foreign workers in the Kingdom and only 300,000 of them have work permits.

Some 100,000 guest workers are employed in the agricultural sector and only 40 per cent of them have permits, Ghewazi said, adding that of those with permits to work in agriculture, 70 per cent have illegally moved to work in other sectors.