The Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology has stated more than 12,000 illegal immigrants have been sent back to their home nations.
The ministry has said in an article on the Sarukaaru website that 12,552 illegal immigrants have been flown out of the country, with them being sent back between 17th November 2023 and 13th June 2026.
The ministry said the people that have been sent back include those that have been deported and others sent through other ways. While referring to Immigration's statistics, the ministry also said those who were deported include people who were running business illegally, with many individuals not having proper documentation.
The ministry went on to say they are working together with Immigration and the police in locating expatriates living illegally in Maldives. They said information regarding more than 200,000 expatriates have been gathered under Operation Kurangi, and if any expatriate is found living in Maldives illegally from next year onward, they will be deported without any second chances.
According to the ministry, their efforts regarding a permanent solution for undocumented expatriates living in Maldives will proceed within the next six months. And in order to encourage the payment of work permit fees for expatriates working at businesses before the permit expires, the ministry has said they have informed them of this. The ministry went on to say easy arrangements will be included within that phase for those who want to pay their work permit fees, which includes those who have been unable to pay it as of yet.
Under the government's Mass Legalization Program and for expatriates who are employed in Maldives, those who work without permits, those who work after their permits have expired and those who do not have official documentation identifying who they are were given the opportunity to regularize and live in Maldives legally.
