Democratic Republic of Congo Employment and Labor Minister Ferdinand Massamba wa Massamba on April 10, 2026 issued a statement giving companies 30 calendar days to bring the administrative status of their expatriate staff into compliance. The grace period runs from the date of publication.

The ministry warned that companies failing to meet the deadline could face sanctions, including suspension of activities and referral to the relevant courts.

In the same document, the minister announced a stepped-up, targeted nationwide inspection campaign. He said the aim was to end illegal practices linked to the misuse of foreign labor, including hiring expatriate workers without prior authorization and foreigners filling jobs reserved for nationals. The statement noted that such practices constitute serious administrative offenses under current regulations.

Companies found to be in violation could face immediate action. The ministry cited the administrative deportation of the workers concerned, in coordination with relevant authorities, as well as the partial or total suspension of the offending companies’ activities. It added that directors and managers could be held liable under existing provisions.

The crackdown comes months after a relaxation of rules governing foreign employment. In September 2025, a new decree raised quotas for foreign workers in several sectors. Agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and construction can now employ expatriates up to 6.5% of the workforce, while banking, real estate, trade, transport, and information technology are capped at 4%.

The reform did not remove the requirement for prior authorization or the principle of priority hiring for nationals. The Federation of Congo Enterprises has met with its members to discuss the new rules, particularly quotas and the operations of the National Commission for the Employment of Foreigners.

The inspection campaign comes amid mounting pressure on the labor market. The National Report on Youth Employment estimates that the DRC will need to create around 9.6 million jobs by 2030 and nearly 35 million by 2050 to absorb its growing labor force. It also shows that unemployment, under the ILO’s strict definition, stands at 2.5% among young people compared with 1.4% among adults, with long-term unemployment affecting more than 60% of youth.

At the same time, formal job creation remains limited. In 2025, ANAPI approved 96 projects representing $5.13 billion in planned investment, with the potential to generate 8,383 direct jobs—figures that remain modest relative to the structural needs of the Congolese labor market.

PM