Published: September 12, 2025
MONROVIA — Montserrado County Senator Darius Dillon has strongly criticized the government’s decision to triple alien work permit fees, arguing the measure does little to address unemployment and risks further sidelining qualified Liberians from the labor market.
The Ministry of Labor last week announced that the annual cost of foreign work permits would rise from $1,000 to $3,000, effective immediately. Labor Minister Cooper Kruah said the increase was intended to ensure foreign workers do not occupy jobs Liberians are capable of performing.
But Dillon, in a statement on social media Friday, said work permits were never meant as a revenue stream and insisted the focus should remain on enforcing regulations that require employers to prioritize Liberian workers.
“Simply increasing the fees for work permits does not cut it,” Dillon said. “This is yet another means of denying or depriving qualified Liberians the opportunity for jobs in our labor market.”
The senator urged the ministry to strictly enforce the rule mandating that companies advertise vacancies for 30 days before applying for foreign work permits, giving Liberians the first chance at employment. He vowed to push the issue when the Legislature reconvenes in October.
Kruah has defended the hike, citing moves to curb abuse of the permit system. He pointed to Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, where the ministry declined to renew more than 300 expatriate permits for positions Liberians could fill.
The minister also highlighted a national youth employment program that placed more than 1,300 students in temporary jobs this year as part of efforts to reduce joblessness.
The Boakai administration has come under growing pressure to address unemployment, with lawmakers questioning why thousands of work permits are issued to expatriates amid high domestic joblessness.
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