Security measures to be heightened, limit on bringing Bangladeshi labourers to be lifted

The government will propose to heighten security measures and lift the current limit of 100,000 Bangladeshi labourers allowed in the country, announced Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan today.

Speaking at the 241 Committee of the parliament, which oversees the operations of the security services under Article 241 of the Constitution of Maldives, Minister Ihusan justified that the 100,000 Bangladeshi labourer limit needs to be lifted considering the current and future demand for labourers.

His comment was in response to a question by committee member and north Maafannu constituency MP Mohamed Nazim, who asked why a certain limit has been set for only Bangladeshi labourers, and whether this may be perceived as differentiation.

However, the limit should be lifted after implementing additional measures, he said, adding that he does not believe it would be wise to lift the limit without doing so.

"The first thing is, it will be easier for us to allow [this] after we bring changes to the system and ensure that [they] can be made biometrical[ly] accountable a 100 percent," the minister said.

"Also, the current work permit issued to people who are taken to the islands are granted for the entire Maldives. Instead, a permanent solution would be for the island council to also endorse the permit issued to the individual," he added.

He went on to say that lifting the limit would be dependent on two factors.

"They are, amending the system. We will finish that within the next three weeks."

"Along with that, once the [border] is opened, the said 100,000 limit will be met. If that happens, then we will recommend to the parliament to lift the limit. But that will be done once the safeguard measures are implemented," he explained.

Minister Ihusan also revealed that based on the border control system and the expatriate system, there are currently 90,624 Bangladeshi nationals working in the country.

Adding that the government allowed additional Bangladeshi workers to be brought into the country to meet the 100,000 limit, the Minister revealed that some had taken undue advantage of the allowance.

"When we allowed to bring in the [remaining 9,000 people to meet the 100,000 quota], we noticed that workers were being brought in illegally on quotas assigned to previously blacklisted companies. They were brought in systematically correctly, but the [workers] are brought in and let go onto the roads. Upon discovering this, we closed the borders entirely," he revealed.

"So we didn't want to open the border until we could permanently put a lock on it."

Miniter Ihusan also said that the companies involved in the unlawful entry of workers are now under investigation.

Currently there are 280,000 foreign workers in the Maldives, out of which the majority are from Bangladesh.