Immigration: Illegal expats will receive chance to get regularized

The expatriates detained in the ongoing crackdown on illegal migration will receive a chance to get regularized, says the Maldives Immigration Service.

Illegal migration remains a longstanding issue in the Maldives.

The Immigration Service, in collaboration with the police, have recently been conducting a series of raids to catch illegal expatriates.

In an appearance on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ show, which aired on Thursday, Senior Immigration Officer Ismail Shareef said that not all expatriates detained in the raids will be deported.

He said that the program allows expatriates the chance to get regularized, adding that the Home Ministry’s ‘Operation Kurangi’ is a big part of this.

“This operation also allows this opportunity for employers who want to keep expatriate workers. Therefore, they will be allowed to return to work to the extent of this opportunity. We have always advised to properly manage expatriate workers by having them handed over to legitimate employers,” he said.

Shareef said that expatriate workers will be issued new work permits to work at legitimate workplaces “based on the opportunities available” through the regularization program the Immigration is running in collaboration with the police.

Immigration said earlier this week that over 1,800 expatriates detained in the current raids have been deported. 83 were detained in raids on local markets in Male’ City the previous weekend. According to the agency, those detained include expatriates without a valid visa, as well as those working in a place of work outside the scope of their permit, and those running their own businesses outside the scope of their permits.

The Home Ministry’s ‘Operation Kurangi’ has seen the collection of the biometrics of over 1,500 expatriates, since it was launched on May 2.

At a session of the ‘Ahaa’ public forum back in April, Home Minister Ali Ihusan said the issue of illegal migration will be resolved in three years.

He said that the collection of biometric data of expatriates was just phase one of the operation, and will wrap up within one year.

He said that once the data on all expatriates are collected and entered into a system, the government will then regularize all undocumented migrants.

Ihusan warned that those who fail to make use of the opportunity will be deported.

However, he stressed that the goal is not to arrest and deport expatriates, but to give them a chance to get regularized.