Ministry warns 27,773 expats to complete biometrics or face deportation

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has warned that 27,773 expatriate workers who fail to complete their biometric registration by 15 November without a valid reason will be deported.

According to the ministry, the workers are employed under 3,942 individuals or companies registered on the Expat Online system, but their biometric data has yet to be updated.

The ministry said these workers have been given a final opportunity to complete the process at the Job Centre, located on the ground floor of the NCIT building, before the deadline.

Foreigners who fail to comply will face deportation, while employers listed in the Expat Online system may be fined MVR 50,000 under the Employment Act and face further action under the Immigration Act.

The government began collecting biometric data from all expatriates in May 2024 under “Operation Kurangi,” which aims to identify foreign nationals living and working in the Maldives.

The ministry said it has so far collected fingerprints and photographs of thousands of workers as part of the initiative.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said last month that Operation Kurangi had revealed around 178,982 foreigners had been living in the Maldives over the past two years.

“This is a huge number. Now we know there are about 200,000 foreigners in the Maldives. We did not have this information before,” he said.