Maldives Immigration has revealed that over 1,000 cases associated with illegal immigrants residing in the nation have been reported to the Immigration Watch.
Introduced on July 17, 2023, Immigration Watch serves as an online platform in which cases related to immigrants can be reported conveniently. The government notes that this is one of the most robust systems to report such cases.
Maldives Immigration disclosed that a total of 1,017 cases were reported to the Immigration Watch as of November 30. Of these, majority of the cases were associated with illegal expatriates conducting businesses in the Maldives against the laws and regulations. Following the operation of illegal businesses, cases related to work visa issues stand as the second most reported issues.
Furthermore, Maldives Immigration stated that 39 out of the 1,017 cases were now in the verification phase, while 187 cases were unverified. Additionally, 81 cases related to the authority were also reported via the online platform.
Addressing the issue of illegal immigrants is a top priority of the current administration. Under these efforts, a nationwide programme named Operation Kurangi was introduced, aimed at collecting information and biometric data of all immigrants residing in the Maldives, including those living in all inhabited islands, resorts, industrial islands, and islands leased for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, another operation was also introduced to approve food production facilities and enhance food production, such that it does not risk the safety and well-being of residents. The government aims to resolve this significant issue within a three-year timeframe.