No regularization programme this week

While a regularization programme is being conducted to re-register undocumented workers, it was not held this week.

The ministry has been conducting the programme on Saturdays.

The ministry’s Assistant Director Zubana Ibrahim noted that their announcement does not state that a session will be conducted every week.

She stated that they make an announcement two days prior, adding that this was the case the previous week as well.

While the ministry intends to continue with the programme, Zubana said that a date for the next session will be announced later.

Authorities recently revealed that there are around 105,000 undocumented workers in the Maldives, and that a majority of them do not hold a passport or work permit.

There have been difficulties in dealing with those without passports.

The regularization programme was launched last month, following President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's decision to implement a policy on strengthening foreign labour regulations and address the issue of illegal employment of migrant workers.

In addition to the programme, the policy specifies ways to reinforce regulations on handling illegal employment of migrant workers, and on the issuance of work permits, as well as the formulation of a ‘National Task-force on Issues Related to Migrant Workers’.