The Maldives Immigration has reported that over 5,600 undocumented migrants in the Maldives were deported last year.
In 2024, Immigration intensified efforts to address the issue of undocumented migrants and conducted a series of targeted raid operations to identify undocumented individuals.
The administration aims to solve the long-standing issue of undocumented migrants effectively and has been working closely with enforcement agencies to resolve the challenge. To support these efforts, a designated task force has been established, comprising members from enforcement agencies and various government ministries. In July last year, a designated portal, the ‘Immigration Watch’ was introduced, enabling citizens to report suspected undocumented migrants in the Maldives and other immigration-related violations. With these tools, efforts commenced to inspect workplaces to identify and detain those found to be in violation of immigration laws.
For 2024, the government set a target to identify and deport 5,000 undocumented migrants and those working in the Maldives in violation of laws. This goal was surpassed, with official statistics confirming that a total of 5,613 migrants were deported last year, primarily as a result of immigration raids and detentions.
According to Maldives Immigration, a total of 1,161 cases have reported to the Immigration Watch since its launch. Of these, 1061 cases have been investigated. The majority of the reported instances pertained to migrant workers engaging in illegal business activities, with 239 such reports received.
The portal also received an equal number of reports pertaining to work visa violations. The portal documented 65 cases related to prostitution rings, 41 instances of migrant workers absconding from their sponsoring company, 14 concerning tourist visa violations, and 12 each related to violations of employer sponsorship and illegal visa usage, according to the authority.
The immigration authority also investigated 11 cases, each involving various criminal activities and drug abuse by migrant workers, and 10 cases of illegal business operations.
In addition to deporting undocumented migrants, the government is also offering pathways for undocumented individuals to regularise their status. Efforts are also underway to collect biometric data on foreign nationals in the Maldives, as part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal migration systemically.