More than 5,286 illegal foreign workers were deported during 2025 and the period from January 1 to January 10, 2026, according to official figures compiled from weekly inspection reports issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, reflecting an intensified nationwide campaign to regulate the labour market. Statistics show that the authority carried out 59,337 inspection visits and 863 joint inspection campaigns during 2025, resulting in the detection of 960 illegal and irregular workers. The inspections formed part of ongoing efforts to enforce labour and residency laws and ensure compliance across all sectors. These figures were compiled through a review of the authority’s weekly reports published throughout the year, alongside early 2026 data. Inspections Inspection activity continued into mid January 2026. Between January 11 and 17 alone, the authority conducted 850 inspection campaigns and visits, leading to the detection of 11 illegal workers and the deportation of 150 violators. During that week, a total of 813 inspection visits were carried out at shops and workplaces across all governorates, in addition to 37 joint inspection campaigns. These included 18 campaigns in the Capital Governorate, two in Muharraq, seven in the Northern Governorate, and 10 in the Southern Governorate. The inspections identified multiple […]