Over 6,000 expats deported so far through Immigration's special operation

Through the special operation conducted by Maldives Immigration and related institutions, more than 6,000 expatriates who were residing illegally in the Maldives have been deported so far.

The immigration department continues to conduct special operations in response to reports received by Immigration Watch. As such, on March 5, a house named M. Harmony was inspected in connection with a report submitted to the authorities.

Immigration stated that an online food preparation and delivery business was being operated from 9pm to 2am on the first floor of the house and that three expatriates working there were doing so illegally, outside the scope of their granted permits. The three expatriates have since been taken into Immigration's custody.

Regarding the work done so far in collaboration with the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and Maldives Police Service (MPS), Immigration said that successful operations have been carried out, and with the cooperation of the general public, a large number of foreigners have been apprehended.

Immigration noted that they are working on deporting expatriates who are engaged in businesses and other activities in violation of Maldivian laws without giving any further opportunities. They stated that so far, more than 6,076 expatriates have been sent back to their respective countries.

An online platform called "Immigration Watch" has also been established to submit cases related to illegal expatriates. Immigration says that more than 1,297 cases have been submitted to Immigration Watch so far, with only 11 cases remaining unresolved.

An initiative called ‘Operation Kurangi’ is also being conducted to collect information on expatriates workers to find a permanent solution to the issue of illegal expatriates workers in the Maldives. So far, information on 77,000 expatriates from various parts of the Maldives has been collected.