Maldives repatriates 4,300 undocumented workers

Economic Development Minister Fayyaz Ismail said on Wednesday that the Maldivian government has repatriated 4,300 undocumented migrant workers to their home countries.

In an appearance on Public Service Media (PSM)’s Raajje Miadhu show on Wednesday night, Fayyaz said that Bangladeshi workers – who make up for the most of the migrant population in Maldives – are repatriated in collaboration with the Bangladeshi government.

He also stated that the repatriations were voluntary.

Fayyaz said that by the end on July, the Maldivian government has repatriated 4,300 undocumented migrant workers, as well as 1,600 documented migrant workers who requested to return to their home countries.

He said that the Maldivian government was targeting repatriating 5,000 undocumented migrant workers by the end of August, and 20,000 undocumented migrant workers by the end of this year.

“The hope is that, if the COVID situation improves, we repatriate 20,000 people by the end of this year. That’s the target. It may not happen. But we are working hard to reach this target,” he said.

Maldives has a population of close to 150,000 migrant workers. Fayyaz has stated in July that while Maldives Immigration’s records place the number of undocumented migrant workers in the country at 62,000 – the actual figure is believed to be within the range of 80,000 to 100,000.

Maldives Immigration has initiated a program to facilitate the repatriation of migrant workers with expired work visa or employment approval who wish to return to their home countries.

The program will remain open until the end of this year.