The Government of Angola is mulling new measures to control the flow of foreign workers into the country, and new rules may be announced soon, according to a presidential decree signed on February 13, reports local newspaper Jornal de Angola.

The order, signed by President José Eduardo dos Santos, creates an interdepartmental task force, which has 90 days to complete a review of the current rules. The group must analyse the country’s migrant labour market and suggest “new rules for admission” of foreign workers, the newspaper added.

Edeltrudes Costa, Minister of State and Chief of the Civil Office of the President, will coordinate the interdepartmental group.

According to the report, the task force should also propose new “administrative measures to control the influx of foreign workers”, and suggest new actions to deter illegal immigration based on irregular hiring processes.

In January, the National Police of Angola estimated that “more than 500,000 illegal immigrants” were living in the country.