The foreign ministry has said India confirms it has not stopped issuing visas for Maldivians travelling to India for purposes other than tourism.
The ministry said this in a tweet following media reports on India’s visa suspensions.
In the tweet, the foreign ministry said the Indian Embassy in Male’ has confirmed that there has been no change in the Indian government’s visa policy.
Following media reports claiming a suspension on issuing visas for Maldivians travelling to India for purposes other than tourism, MFA has received confirmation from the Indian Embassy in Malé that there has been no change in visa policy by the government of India.
— MFA Maldives (@MDVForeign) March 20, 2018
Maldivians living in India’s Trivandrum have sent letters to foreign minister Dr Mohamed Asim, claiming that Indian authorities have said that they no longer issue dependent visas to Maldivians.
India has also previously claimed that they have not changed their visa policy. However, Maldivians in Kerala state have also been having visa issues.
While India has expressed concern over the political crisis in Maldives, it has not yet taken any official action against the neighboring archipelago.
