68 Bangladeshi workers have been sent home on Tuesday, via a Bangladesh Armed Forces flight that arrived on Monday with Maldivians stranded in Bangladesh and Nepal.

These are all undocumented migrant workers that wished to return home.

The foreign ministry said that “voluntary repatriation is part of the Government’s ambitious programme on regularization of undocumented migrant workers in Maldives, majority of whom are from Bangladesh”.

Further, it thanked the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the Government of Bangladesh and in particular, the High Commission of Bangladesh in Maldives for facilitating the repatriation of their nationals.

The Armed Forces flight arrived in the Maldives on Monday, with 71 Maldivians from Bangladesh and Nepal, as well as a group of medical experts from the country.

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid had Sunday revealed that arrangements were made to send 70 undocumented workers home, via the flight.

At a press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), Covid-19 spokesperson Mohamed Mabrook Aziz revealed that three undocumented workers had tested positive on Tuesday.

RaajjeMV understands that two of the confirmed patients were to leave on Tuesday morning as well.