Homeland Minister, Ihusan has revealed that 5400 work permits have been issued to foreign workers since the issuance approval was extended. The limit for Bangladeshis seeking employment in Maldives is expected to cap within the next four months as a result.
Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusan has declared that the over 5400 work permits have been issued since the reauthorization to bring in foreign workers into the country was extended and predicts that the number will exceed the maximum limit stipulated in the law within the next four months.
Minister Ihusan was summoned to today’s parliamentary session to be answerable to MPs questions regarding the issue of rising number of undocumented expatriates in the country.
Responding to an enquiry by the parliamentarian of the Ihavandhoo Constituency, Mohamed Shifau, Ihusan revealed that 5400 work permits have been issued since the authorization was extended on 17 December last year and 4000 of these expats have arrived to the country thus far.
Addressing this, Mid Henveyru Constituency MP Ali Azim had questioned when the maximum number established in the Constitution is predicted to crest in review of the Bangladeshi arrivals into the country.
Article 65 (a) of the Employment Act writes that the maximum number of foreigners permissible to migrate to Maldives for employment purposes from a single country is 100,000.
Revealing that in review of the present rate of expat arrivals, this maximal limit may be exceeded by the end of the upcoming four months, Ihusan assured that the government is expending numerous efforts to ensure the numbers do not reach this point and emphasized deporting of expats residing unlawfully in the country within this time.
The Minister shared that the present efforts are encircled within declining the trend of their arrivals into the country.
He additionally disclosed the total number of work permits presently issued to Bangladeshi workers as 135,049.
"The ones that haven't yet arrived in the country are also active permits. They are active permits if the company has not cancelled it even after [the foreign worker] entered the country and departed it again."
Minster Ihusan further remarked that only 39,004 from this amount are valid permits that settle regular payments and that all remaining permits can be considered unlawful and its owners, unlawful residents.
The Minister outlined that however, the Border Control System indicates that most of these expatriate workers have now vacated the country.
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