The Maldivian government remains committed to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of all migrants residing in the Maldives, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.

The Maldivian foreign minister said this while speaking at the Regional Meeting on the Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations, held on Thursday.

As such, taking the podium at the event, FM Shahid reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen the legal framework to better protect the rights all migrant workers residing in the archipelago nation.

Recognizing the complexity of the issue of migration, FM Shahid shed light on some of the initiatives undertaken by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration in a bid to cater to the needs of the migrant community in Maldives.

As such, the foreign minister shed light on the importance accorded to inclusivity, in the Maldives’ approach to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, he went on to highlight the social media programmes launched with the support of the civil society and United Nations entities to advocate for acceptance, inclusion, and empathy towards all members of the society.

The Maldivian minister went on to recall the legislative actions taken by the government including the establishment of the Regulation on Expatriate Employment in 2021, the Regulation of Employees Accommodation Standards in 2021 and the Employment Agency Regulation in 2022.

FM Shahid reiterated the government’s commitment to further strengthen the Maldivian legal framework to provide better protection of the rights of all migrant workers within the jurisdiction.

The Regional Meeting on the Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations was organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to bring together stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region to assess progress in implementing Objective seven of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).