Currently five Maldivians are in remand in Sri Lanka after being arrested in the special search operation after the Easter attacks.

During the operation, Sri Lankan authorities arrested 20 Maldivians and re-arrested some after releasing them.

The Maldives ambassador has said that the Sri Lankan government has notified them that a large number of Maldivians have been found with expired visas, and so urged every Maldivian resident to check their documents and renew them if necessary.

After declaring a state of emergency, Sri Lankan authorities have established check posts in various parts of the country.

With more than 20,000 Maldivian residents, Sri Lanka has the largest Maldivian community outside of the native country.

The Sri Lankan terror attacks on April 21 killed more than 250 people and injured more than 500.