1,500 undocumented expatriates to be sent back

1,500 additional Bangladeshi nationals are to be evacuated from the Maldives.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih made the reveal during his address to the nation on Monday evening to provide the latest updates of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Work to send undocumented workers back to their country will commence within the following week and about 1,500 Bangladeshi workers who are living illegally in the Maldives will be sent back under this operation, said the president.

This will be done after discussions with the government of Bangladesh.

President Solih also stated that there are a number of homeless migrants without valid documents as well as means of an income and stressed that “they were brought here by Maldivians”.

The president stressed that “this is not something that happened in day or two”.

The government earlier began work to move migrant workers living in confined living spaces to better spaces, with some of them being transferred to Gulhifalhu.

Further, the Maldivian Red Crescent has also introduced a migrant relief fund to help out expatriates in need.

50.8% of the confirmed cases in Malé City is of undocumented migrant workers who were living in congested spaces.