Says, Liberians must come first.
Monrovia, Liberia – The government announced a dramatic increase in alien work permit costs, tripling the annual cost from US$1,000 to US$3,000, in a clear policy move intended to combat unemployment and lessen foreign dominance in the labor market.
Labor Minister Cllr. Cooper Kruah, Sr. announced the new policy Thursday, September 4, 2025, at MICAT press briefing in Monrovia, emphasizing that it is a component of President Joseph Boakai’s larger initiative to guarantee Liberians are given preference in positions that they are capable of holding.
Minister Kruah noted that this increase is applicable to ordinary work licenses. Permits pertaining to ECOWAS and other categories, such as free, will be discussed later. “We want foreign businesses doing business in Liberia to give preference to employing Liberians for important positions in their concessions.”
The announcement follows growing government and public outrage over what many perceive to be an uncontrolled flood of foreign workers into Liberia’s labor market, despite the nation’s high unemployment rate. Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County recently led a Senate investigation into thousands of permits granted to foreign workers, which increased pressure on the Ministry of Labor to enforce its regulations.
By citing measures against significant concessionaires, Kruah disclosed that the government has already taken decisive action. At Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, he announced that more than 300 permits owned by foreigners would not be renewed.
“We can no longer grant permits for work that our people are capable of doing.”
The minister also emphasized the Boakai-Kun administration efforts to provide young Liberians with possibilities by connecting the policy to ongoing youth employment initiatives. He claimed that more than 1,305 youth worked in government ministries, agencies, and private businesses as a result of the 2025 Vacation Job Program.
