Immigration detains 15 undocumented migrants

Maldives Immigration has detained 15 more undocumented migrants.

The immigration department revealed that the operation was conducted in partnership with the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

The police institution revealed that officers raided seven locations including small retail shops and take-away coffee shops being operated in the capital Malé City and Hulhumalé.

This was done as part of an ongoing operation to track down undocumented migrant workers in the Maldives, involved in illegal businesses.

As part of this operation, 15 undocumented migrants were most recently taken into custody.

Relevant authorities have been raiding businesses operating in the Greater Malé Region as part of the operation to crackdown on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) being operated by undocumented migrants residing illegally in the Maldives.

These operations will continue uninterrupted, according to the Immigration department.

As part of the operation, four places operating as markets in the Greater Malé Region were raided earlier and a total of 83 migrants were taken into police custody where statements were recorded.

These included foreigners who do not have valid visas, those who are working in a place other than where they have obtained permission to work, and those who do business on their own outside the work where a permit has been issued.

Immigration has since commenced the process of deporting the migrant workers who have been arrested as part of the raid, in collaboration with relevant authorities.

As part of these efforts, more than 1,800 migrant workers residing illegally in the Maldives have been deported so far.

Further, two expatriates were arrested for involvement in an extensive foreign exchange network last week. They are accused of being extensively involved in foreign exchange activities.

In addition to this, six suspects who were arrested on 9 March 2024 were recently deported. They were all Bangladeshi nationals.