Construction company sends off over 400 migrant workers

AIMA Construction Company has sent off over 400 migrant workers, following a dispute.

While the construction company has sent 431 workers at two resorts under development, AIMA said that these individuals were first moved to a temporary housing after creating unrest. The company added that they were paid during this period.

Those sent home include Indian and Bangladeshi workers. As such, the 166 Indian nationals were repatriated via an IndiGo airline flight while the 265 Bangladeshis were sent home via a Biman Bangladeshi Airline flight; both flights were chartered by the company.

The company added that 80 of those repatriated had wished to return home.

Furthermore, AIMA thanked the foreign ministry and economic ministry as well as the Indian and Bangladeshi High Commissions, for their assistance in the repatriation process.

Over 2,000 Bangladeshi and Indian nationals, each, have been repatriated from the Maldives thus far amid the Covid-19 crisis.

While expatriate workers protested in Thilafushi island last Tuesday, reports indicate that those that were involved were employees of AIMA Construction Company. 133 were taken into custody during the attempt to control the situation, and 126 of them were released shortly after.

Police had said that the workers were protesting following a disagreement with their sponsors.

The Covid-19 outbreak in the Maldives has impacted the country's migrant worker population immensely, mostly due to the highly congested and unhygienic accommodations provided for them. Work to move expatriate workers living in such areas began in April, and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stressed that the Covid-19 outbreak gives the opportunity to improve a number of practices in the country including improving the living conditions of expatriate workers.