Operation Kurangi: Biometric data of over 4,000 expats collected

Biometric data, including photos, and fingerprints of over 4,000 expatriates has been collected so far under Operation Kurangi, an initiative launched last May by the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology to regularise undocumented migrants.

According to information shared by the Ministry with Mihaaru news, the operation is active in 45 inhabited islands of the country. As of now, the data of 4,272 expatriates have been recorded from 45 islands, and all foreign migrants from eight of those islands have now been entered into the system.

The most number of expatriates were recorded from Kaafu Maafushi, an island with many businesses in the tourism sector. While a total of 1,076 individuals' biometric data were collected from the island, second on the list is Kaafu Hinmafushi with 701 individuals now in the system.

Operation Kurangi also started off from Hinmafushi.

Operation Kurangi Biometric Data Collection Figures

- HA. Dhidhhoo: 390 expatriates

- R. Alifushi: 178 expatriates

- R. Dhuvaafaru: 140 expatriates

- K. Gaafaru: 105 expatriates

- K. Hinmafushi: 701 expatriates

- K. Maafushi: 1,076 expatriates

- L. Gan: 200 expatriates

- Hithadhoo, Addu City: 114 expatriates

Operation Kurangi is being carried out by the Homeland Security Ministry, in collaboration with Maldives Police Service and Maldives Immigration.

Minister Ali Ihusan previously said that by the end of the operation, there would be no expatriate in the country whose biometric data is not entered into their database.

As such, by the end of the two-phase operation which is expected to span over three years, the goal is to only have verified expatriates in the country, he said at the time.

A similar campaign was also run by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration in 2019. With the aim of tackling the overwhelming number of undocumented migrants in the country, more than 40,000 migrants were registered in that project.

However, the administration was not able to fully resolve the issue, and the registration process also came to stop after some time.

Maldives Immigration, which is under the Homeland Security Ministry, is also currently running a separate operation to nab and deport undocumented expatriates and those violating other immigration regulations in the country.

As of now, over 4,000 expatriates have been deported since President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed power.