Immigration detains 51 undocumented expatriates

Maldives Immigration has detained 51 undocumented expatriates from R. Dhuvaafaru.

Immigration said the discovery was made as part of a special raid carried out in the island by the agency's task force. More than 100 expatriates were checked between Wednesday morning and evening, out of which 51 were taken into custody for staying in the country illegally.

Maldives Immigration, under its parent Home Ministry, launched 'Operation Kurangi' in May 2024 to collect biometric information of all expatriates on work visas in Maldives.

At the time, the government said their aim was to complete the database within two years. So far, 24,540 foreigners have been regularised, President Dr. Mohammed Muizzu said in his last presidential address.

Along with the operation, Immigration is also conducting raids to track down on undocumented immigrants.

According to Maldives Immigration, more than 6,000 foreigners have been deported as part of these operations since last year. They include a wide range of businessmen and foreigners who had been living without valid visas for many years.