Minister of Foreign Affairs has reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of all migrants in the Maldives. He made the remark at the Regional Meeting on the Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations.
In his remarks, Minister Shahid recognised the complexity of the issue of migration and highlighted some of the initiatives undertaken by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration to cater to the needs of the migrant population in the Maldives. As such, he emphasised the importance accorded to inclusivity, in the country’s approach to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. He also noted the social media programs that were launched with the help of civil society and United Nations entities to advocate for acceptance, inclusion, and empathy toward all members of society.
Additionally, Minister Shahid recalled the legislative actions taken by the government, such as the establishment of the Regulation on Expatriate Employment in 2021, the Regulation of Employees Accommodation Standards in 2021 and the Employment Agency Regulation in 2022. He concluded his remarks by reiterating the government’s commitment to further strengthen the Maldivian legal framework to provide better protection of the rights of all migrant workers within the jurisdiction.
The Regional Meeting on the Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations was organised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to bring together stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region to assess progress in implementing Objective 7 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).