Facing mounting pressure from the Liberian Senate and growing public concern, the Ministry of Labour has announced a comprehensive nationwide audit of all work permits issued to foreign nationals employed within Liberia.
The audit, scheduled to commence on Monday, June 2, 2025, aims to address alarming trends of permit abuse and misrepresentation of job roles by employers, as well as to protect employment opportunities for Liberian citizens.
According to the Ministry official press release signed and issued on Thursday, May 29, the Ministry made clear that this exercise is intended to verify that all aliens working in the country are complying fully with the terms under which their work permits were granted.
Specifically, the audit will ensure that foreign workers are engaged in the precise roles described in their approved work permit applications and are not occupying positions beyond their permitted scope.
The Ministry revealed that, during permit renewals and applications, many employers have misrepresented the job functions of alien workers—often assigning them to roles different from those officially authorized.
In response, all employers are now required to present the approved work permit applications for all foreign employees, along with comprehensive lists of Liberian workers and their job titles, as well as lists of alien employees and their current positions.
Companies found to have falsified the nature of foreign workers’ jobs risk revocation of the relevant permits, while foreign workers operating outside their approved roles may face legal consequences under the Decent Work Act of 2015.
This crackdown comes amid increasing public dissatisfaction with the issuance of tens of thousands of work permits to foreign nationals, a situation many Liberians blame for exacerbating the country’s unemployment crisis. The issue has become a focal point of debate within the Liberian Senate, where several lawmakers have demanded greater transparency and accountability from the Ministry of Labour.
On March 6, 2025, during the 14th day sitting of the second session of the 55th Legislature, Grand Gedeh County Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely voiced sharp concerns over the sheer volume of work permits granted to non-Liberians.
He called on the Senate to launch a thorough investigation into the Ministry’s practices, urging Labour Minister Kruah to disclose detailed information on which job permits were awarded to foreigners and whether these permits unfairly displaced Liberian workers.
“We had an engagement with the Minister regarding the issuance of 8,000 job permits to non-Liberians,” Senator Nimely stated. “However, the report we received lacked clarity about the exact nature of these permits and the roles held by foreign nationals.”
Responding to the call for transparency, President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, directed the Senate Secretariat to formally request that Minister Kruah provide a full breakdown of work permit issuance, including job titles and categories of foreign workers. The Minister was given a strict two-week deadline to respond.
Labour Minister Kruah had earlier reported that the Ministry’s Alien Registration Department processed and issued a total of 10,974 work permits to foreign nationals in 2024, a figure notably higher than the Senate’s cited 8,000 permits.
The breakdown included 9,468 regular permits, 988 gratis permits, and 556 permits issued to individuals from both ECOWAS and non-ECOWAS member states. Within this group, 8,980 permits went to non-applicants (foreign nationals hired by employers), and 2,699 were granted to non-ECOWAS nationals. Notably, 438 permits were awarded to ECOWAS nationals, primarily from Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Despite Minister Kruah’s framing of the permits as a “substantial contribution” to Liberia’s workforce and economy, many critics have accused the Ministry of prioritizing revenue collection over the welfare of Liberian job seekers.
Anonymous insiders within the Ministry have claimed that the permit process has become commercialized, with some officials allegedly treating work permits as a revenue-generating commodity rather than a tool to regulate labor and protect citizens’ employment rights.
“It seems the Minister is straying from his responsibilities. The Ministry of Labour should serve the public, not act as a revenue-generating entity for the government,” said a source within the Ministry, requesting anonymity. “It is unfortunate when the Minister boasts about generating over a million dollars through job permits while thousands of Liberians remain unemployed.”
This criticism echoes widespread concerns across Liberia, where unemployment and underemployment continue to challenge economic stability and social cohesion. Many Liberian youth and labor rights groups argue that the influx of foreign workers in sectors that should primarily employ Liberians deepens the country’s employment woes.
In response, the Ministry of Labour has urged all employers and foreign workers to cooperate fully with the special audit team as it undertakes this critical review. The Ministry stressed that the audit is a necessary step toward restoring integrity to Liberia’s labor market and ensuring fair, transparent, and lawful employment practices.
