Israeli passport ban: decision to gather arrival data and meet relevant authorities

Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241) has agreed to meet with relevant authorities and political parties to discuss the impact of Israeli passport holders entering the Maldives in relation to the bill proposing a ban on Israeli passports.

This bill, submitted by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, is linked to Israel's actions in Palestine and aims to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the Maldives due to concerns over the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

During a meeting today, the committee decided to meet with various stakeholders, including political parties, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Immigration, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), and other relevant NGOs.

The committee decided to gather information about Israeli tourists and visitors from Israel coming to the Maldives for other purposes.

The decision to seek information and consult with these authorities was passed by a majority of the committee members. Hanimaadhoo MP from MDP, Abdul Ghafoor Moosa (Gapo), however voted against it.

The bill, initially submitted to Parliament on May 29, was referred to the committee for review.

Despite the urgency expressed by opposition MDP members regarding the delay in the bill's progress, the committee indicated that it expects to conclude work on the bill by February next year.