In a special operation conducted to inspect and search for expatriates illegally residing across the scatter of islands comprising the Maldives, 46 foreigners have been taken into custody from Huraa island of Kaafu atoll.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’ on Thursday, the Maldives Immigration department revealed that the taskforce carried out a special raid operation in Hura from 6am to 5pm on Wednesday.

During said operation, 46 expatriates who were illegally residing in Huraa island were taken into the office’s custody.

The immigration office has been conducting several operations to deport expatriates staying illegally in the Maldives. Many people have been deported so far in these operations.

Among the expatriates deported from the Maldives are those who were staying without valid visas and those who were committing multiple crimes. These include cases related to drugs, theft, and individuals involved in prostitution.

Maldives Immigration and related agencies are continuously working to resolve issues related to illegal expatriates. In addition to the Greater Malé Region, an operation has also been carried out in Guraidhoo island of Kaafu atoll. 30 expatriates who were illegally conducting business and working in the island were taken into the custody of Immigration.

The work of collecting biometrics of all expatriates in the Maldives is also ongoing. The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has revealed that biometric data of more than 25,000 expatriates has been collected so far.