27 undocumented expatriates taken into immigration custody near food court area

Maldives Immigration has taken 27 undocumented expatriates into custody during an operation conducted at the West Harbour food court area in Malé.

These expatriates were taken into immigration custody during a special raid conducted by the Immigration Task Force on Sunday night. The operation was launched following reports of a high concentration of undocumented foreign nationals working illegally in the area.

Regarding the operation, Maldives Immigration stated that the documentation of 88 expatriates was verified during an inspection of the West Harbor area. Among them, 27 individuals were taken into custody for violating national immigration regulations.

Relevant authorities have reported that information on more than 202,000 migrants has been collected so far under "Operation Kurangi," an initiative launched by President Muizzu's administration to address the issue of undocumented foreigners in the Maldives. This effort aims to establish a comprehensive database that includes the fingerprints and photographs of all foreign nationals residing in the country.

The government has announced that the leniency currently extended to undocumented expatriates will conclude by next year. Starting from January 2025, authorities have warned that any foreign national found to be living illegally in the country will face immediate deportation without further opportunity for regularization.

Despite ongoing operations to address migrant-related issues, public concern continues to mount over the increasing number of undocumented immigrants and the growing dominance of expatriates in small businesses since President Muizzu’s administration took office.