Maldives sends 1,000 undocumented Bangladeshi workers home

A total of 1,000 undocumented Bangladeshi workers have been sent home from Maldives, thus far.

The foreign ministry said that the 1,000 individuals were repatriated between 21 April to 23 May.

The ministry has been conducting this work, together with the economic and trade ministry and the Bangladeshi High Commission in Maldives, as per President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s instructions. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry also assured to provide all required assistance to the Maldives, in the repatriation of these workers.

Chartered flights of the national airline, Maldivian, as well as Biman Bangladeshi Airline and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) flights carried them home.

Following the repatriation of 1,000 undocumented workers, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid thanked Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail, the high commission as well as his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen for their hard work in ensuring the success of this programme.

Addressing the public on May 4, President Solih announced the programme to send about 1,500 undocumented workers from Bangladesh. The foreign ministry said that they are working to send as many as possible.

In his latest address on May 20, the president stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic also gives the opportunity to improve "many unfavourable practices" in the country such as improving the living conditions of expatriate workers.

The Bangladeshi government has provided various assistance to the Maldives' Covid-19 response efforts, in addition to supplying essentials such as medical equipment and food.

As such, Maldivians stranded in Bangladesh and Nepal were repatriated through a special military aircraft recently and the country has also sent an experienced medical team to the island nation.