In a major development in the government's ongoing initiative to address undocumented expatriate workers, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has suspended more than 8,000 from the online Expat system for failing to pay fees related to foreign workers.
The suspensions are part of a multi-agency effort launched in December 2023 to address the long-standing issue of undocumented foreigners in the Maldives. The government’s strategy includes strengthening the expat system, collecting outstanding payments, and bringing all foreign workers into a legal framework.
Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology Abdul Majid Ibrahim on PSM News' "Raajje Miadhu" programme confirmed that more than 8,900 have been suspended from the Expat portal. The action comes after employers were given a one-month grace period to update their workers' biometrics, a step many failed to complete, he said.
The government has also been focused on recovering significant outstanding payments. According to the State Minister, the government has already recovered USD 77.8 million out of the USD 110.2 million outstanding in expat related fees. He stated that the system is being reconfigured to ensure that individuals with outstanding fees will be denied future services, making timely payments a prerequisite for all expat-related transactions.
A large number of individuals with substantial fines have been granted the option to clear their outstanding in installments. While the original one-year deadline for these payments was set to expire in October, the Ministry has decided to grant an extension, to allow more time for those under payment plans to settle their dues.
This action follows other recent measures to regulate foreign labour, including the completion of biometric registration for 150,000 expatriate workers in May. The government's broader crackdown on undocumented foreigners has also involved several large-scale operations and deportations throughout 2025.
The push for stricter enforcement and modernisation of the expat system is a central part of the administration’s plan to resolve the issue of undocumented workers.