Documents still not received for deporting French family: Immigration

Immigration Controller Mohamed Shammaan Waheed has said today that the office has still not received the necessary documentation for the deportation of the French family living against immigration laws in Th. Veymandoo.

The case of the family came to the notice of Immigration on July 12 last year, after they had lived in Maldives without a visa for about twelve years when it was submitted to the 'Immigration Watch' portal. A decision was then reached to deport the seven members of the family.

Shammaan said that they had not yet received passports or travel documents for the individuals. The request remains lodged at the Consulate of France, he said, adding the family would be promptly deported once the documents are received.

Immigration earlier expected the deportation to be within last month.

Shammaan said that when the head of the family had been summoned, he had expressed a wish to remain in the Maldives and to gain citizenship. When he was informed that he would need to approach the Foreign Ministry with such requests, he had done so as well. However, as the process to gain citizenship is complicated, the family opted to leave Maldives.

The man, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Saeed, initially came to Maldives on a tourist visa. He went back to his country and returned in 2013 with a work visa for working as a fire fighter. His wife and the two children they had at the time later joined him in Maldives on tourist visas with a validity of three months.

Shammaan said that the man had held a valid visa until 2019, however he had been working even then against immigration laws. He was then notified to change the company he had put down as a sponsor, which he had failed to do.

"He said he had moved to Maldives because his family is against his conversion to Islam, that there isn't any threats. That he stayed this long here to get citizenship. So we told him he will need to go to the Foreign Ministry for that. After his first interview at the Foreign Ministry, he said it is too complicated, so he wishes to return to his country. However, as their passports had expired, we said we would assist them with getting the required documents," Shammaan said.

After their arrival in Maldives, they first went to GDh. Thinadhoo. They later moved to Laamu atoll, and then relocated to Th. Thimarafushi. However, they said there was extremist views in that island and settled in Th. Veymandoo about six years ago. The younger three of the couple's children were born in Maldives, with two having been born in Veymandoo.

As per the Immigration Act, overstay after visa expires by even a single day results in a fine starting from MVR 15,000. After a certain period, the issue is considered by the legal department and the offenders deported. The law does not allow the Immigration Controller to reduce or exempt the fines.