Controller General of Immigration Mohamed Sham'aan Waheed has confirmed that necessary efforts are being undertaken to deport a French family that has been living in the Maldives illegally for several years.
In a social media post, the Controller disclosed that Immigration Watch had received reports about the foreign family, consisting of six members, on 18 July. Following a review of the case, the primary individual involved in the case was summoned to Immigration on 23 October.
Sham'aan revealed that the passports of all members of the family had expired, which has complicated their deportation efforts. He confirmed that Immigration is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain travel documents for the family to facilitate their deportation. Sham'aan assured that the family will be sent back to France as soon as the arrangements are finalised, asserting that no one will be allowed to reside in the Maldives in violation of Immigration laws.
The government has been taking strong measures to effectively address the issue of illegal immigrants in the Maldives. Since the current administration assumed office, over 5,000 foreign nationals have been deported for various violations, according to statistics released by the Immigration Department.