22 migrant workers involved in illegal businesses have been arrested in a major operation conducted in Hulhumalé.
Maldives Immigration revealed that authorities had conducted a raid on a three-story building in Hulhumalé on Saturday night, following concerns raised and shared on social media platforms.
22 migrant workers who were involved in illegal food trade at the location were detained by immigration authorities.
The department went on to reveal that the illegal business was linked to a foreigner who is married to a Maldivian woman.
Immigration highlighted that this is by far the largest operation conducted in Hulhumalé.
Further investigations are currently underway in connection with the case.
The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology, Immigration and the Maldives Police Service (MPS) have been conducting raid operations in a bid to track down undocumented migrant workers in the Maldives, involved in illegal businesses.
Immigration has also launched a special portal titled “Immigration Watch”, to pave the path for citizens to submit their concerns and complaints regarding such cases.
The portal is being flooded with complaints of illegal migrants and foreigners running widescale businesses in the Maldives.
Several videos of migrant workers serving food have been circulating on social media. Recently, a video of a place where expatriates are seen serving food in Hulhumalé' Phase II went viral.
The video shows a large number of migrant workers cooking, at a place with poor hygiene.
As part of the recent operations, more than 100 migrants have been taken into custody.
Noting that the operations against illegal migrants will proceed uninterrupted, authorities revealed that so far, more than 40 raid operations have been conducted targeting illegal businesses and efforts are underway to deport them.
Mostly targeted are at those who are more mainstream and involved than those who violate the rules in simpler ways.
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.
Immigration has since commenced the process of deporting the migrant workers who have been arrested as part of the raids, in collaboration with relevant authorities.
