A comprehensive solution is required to address issues related to migrant workers, and such a resolution can be achieved only through the cooperation of everyone, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said.
The government is currently working under a policy framework addressing undocumented migrant workers, President Muizzu noted during the third episode of the programme ‘Nation Chat’. A significant number subject to removal have been repatriated over the past two years under state enforcement, representing a record figure compared with previous years.
Administrative efforts to catalogue the resident migrant workforce have advanced, with biometric data collection nearly complete and only 1 percent remaining. Addressing the widespread issue of foreign nationals unlawfully operating commercial enterprises, President Muizzu observed that Maldivian business owners frequently relinquish operational control for personal convenience, noting that local practices and recruitment challenges remain intertwined with the broader issue.
"Matters such as these are deeply interconnected with this issue," President Muizzu maintained. "This is, in truth, a matter that demands a comprehensive solution. Securing the co-operation of private individuals and all citizens is vital to achieving a permanent solution."
State authorities sent back 12,552 individuals to their home countries by 13 June of this year, encompassing formal deportations and alternative removal mechanisms. Deportations primarily targeted foreign nationals unlawfully operating businesses and individuals holding incomplete documentation. Administrative procedures verify work permits, with valid permits rising to 208,937, while foreign nationals with captured biometrics and photographs surpass 200,000.