News Desk
MALE’ — The government has announced that it has repatriated more than 12,000 foreign nationals residing in the country without valid legal status, marking a significant escalation in its ongoing campaign to reform the labour sector and enforce immigration law.
According to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology, a total of 12,552 undocumented individuals were sent back to their home countries between 17 November 2023 and 13 June of this year. Officials confirmed that this figure encompasses both those formally deported and others who were repatriated through voluntary return programmes.
The crackdown is part of a broader, high-priority initiative by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s administration to tackle the long-standing challenge of irregular migration in the archipelago.
“Addressing the issue of undocumented foreign workers is a matter of national security and economic stability,” a ministry official stated, noting that the administration has prioritised the identification and processing of individuals operating outside the legal framework.
To bolster enforcement, Maldives Immigration has launched “Immigration Watch,” a dedicated digital platform designed to encourage public participation. The initiative allows members of the public to report suspected cases of irregular migration anonymously, reflecting the government’s push to involve the local community in policing the labour market.
The scope of these efforts extends well beyond the capital. Immigration officials are currently conducting sweeping operations across the country, gathering comprehensive data on foreign workers stationed on inhabited islands, luxury tourist resorts, industrial zones, and agricultural plots.
The presence of a large migrant workforce—predominantly from South Asian nations—has long been essential to the Maldives’ tourism and construction-led economy. However, the reliance on unregulated labour has frequently sparked public debate regarding social integration and the rule of law.
As the government intensifies its nationwide audit, the scale of this repatriation effort underscores a shift toward a more stringent regulatory environment, aiming to bring greater transparency to a workforce that serves as the backbone of the Maldivian economy.
