Salary restructure leaves immigration officers earning MVR 9,000 less

Many officers at the Maldives Immigration have seen a sharp decline in their earnings following the salary restructuring introduced under President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration.

RaajjeMV understands that no promotions have been granted within the department for nearly 17 years, and the newly implemented pay harmonization has resulted in widespread salary cuts among frontline officers.

The majority of Immigration staff fall under three main ranks: Assistant Immigration Officer, Deputy Immigration Officer, and Immigration Officer. Employees in these categories have all experienced reductions in their monthly income, while only those above the Senior Immigration Officer level have benefited from pay increases.

Before the restructuring, most officers took home between MVR 23,000 and MVR 26,000 per month. Under the new pay scale, their earnings have dropped to around MVR 16,500, marking a loss of roughly MVR 9,000. In contrast, senior and executive-level officers now receive between MVR 30,000 and MVR 40,000 in monthly take-home pay.

The pay harmonization has also stripped away several key allowances. Officers previously received MVR 200 per day for attendance, MVR 100 as a risk allowance, and those residing in Hulhumalé were paid MVR 30 per day as a travel allowance when commuting to Malé or the airport. Airport-based officers, who worked long shifts without breaks, received an additional MVR 60 per day. All these allowances have now been discontinued, and staff have been informed that travel allowances will also cease.

These reductions have triggered frustration among rank-and-file Immigration officers, who argue that the changes unfairly burden lower-level staff while rewarding higher management. Despite growing concern across the department, officials say that senior leadership has shown little willingness to address the grievances.