Gov't seeks employment information of expats willing to return home
12 ނޮވެމްބަރު 2020 | ބުރާސްފަތި 12:56The programme is being conducted in cooperation with the High Commission of Bangladesh
Undocumented workers filled up the Galolhu Stadium when the first round of the regularization programme opened up in October
The Ministry of Economic Development has sought more employment information from some of the expatriate workers who registered under the voluntary repatriation programme.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the ministry publicized information regarding expatriates who are willing to return back home in order to ensure they have valid employment permits.
The ministry highlighted that they have received applications for the voluntary repatriation programme by expatriates under valid employment approvals, however, they are currently not working for the employers who obtained these employment approvals for them.
In light of this, expatriates noted in the list have been urged to provide more information regarding their current employment, before November 21. They are required to send emails torepatriation@trade.gov.mv, after attaching their full names, passport number and employer details.
By November 8, authorities had repatriated over 15,000 undocumented workers from the Maldives.
During May, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced that the government will be repatriating thousands of Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the Maldives, following which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development collaboratively began a repatriation exercise.
The repatriation exercise is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladeshi High Commission in the Maldives, with the assistance from the Bangladeshi government.
Earlier, Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail stated that the government aims to send back at least 20,000 undocumented workers prior to the end of 2020. Fayyaz noted that expatriate workers will not be send back home, without their consent.
The authorities began battling the global pandemic at a time the issue of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the Maldives had been a rising concern. Maldives Immigration earlier revealed that close to 100,000 undocumented workers are residing illegally in the Maldives without valid documentations and/or passports.
