The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced a mass legalisation programme for undocumented foreign workers in the Maldives, to be carried out under Operation Kurangi.
According to the ministry, the programme will target foreigners with expired work permits and undocumented migrants, and will run from 1 January 2026 until 2 April 2026.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan said approximately 10,000 foreign nationals currently reported as missing or absconding by their employers in the Expat System will be given an opportunity to regularise their legal status during this period. He noted that many of these individuals are believed to be working for different employers, and said the programme will allow their current employers to register them lawfully within the system.
The ministry outlined several eligibility criteria for legalisation. To qualify, a foreign national must have entered the Maldives on a valid work permit, have an expired permit, not be blacklisted, be physically present in the Maldives, and not have been legalised previously. In addition, the employer seeking legalisation must not be the issuer of the individual’s last work permit, and the foreign national must have been reported as missing or absconding in the Expat System before 31 December this year.
The ministry warned that foreign nationals who remain in the country illegally after 2 April 2026 will be subject to deportation in accordance with existing regulations.