Expats arrested in Bodufinolhu unrest, released

The expatriate workers in Bodufinolhu island who were arrested following the unrest have been released.

19 expatriate workers were arrested following the unrest stemming from the long-drawn-out issue of unpaid wages for expatriate workers on the island being developed as a resort, during which over 200 expatriates secured the island and took 13 Maldivian workers as hostages.

This issue had not risen overnight, the Bodufinolhu expat workers had been protesting peacefully for months before things escalated.

The group of expats that was arrested, were slapped with a 15-day remand and the remand was extended by an additional 15 days.

In a message to the press on Monday, Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that they were released on Sunday and that they are currently under the supervision of Maldives Immigration.

The institution is also investigating RIX Maldives, the employer of the expats in the development project, over alleged human trafficking violations.

The release of the Bodufinolhu workers comes at a time the Human Rights Watch (HRW), an International NGO, has called on authorities to drop charges and release all those held "for engaging in peaceful protest, and instead to address allegations of human trafficking and other abuses against the island nation’s sizable migrant worker population."

During several such protests rooted to similar issues linked to unpaid wages, over 80 expatriates were arrested in July alone.