Immigration dispatches over 200 officers for inspections in Male’ area

Maldives Immigration launched a large-scale operation in Male’ area on Wednesday to identify undocumented expatriates and foreigners operating businesses illegally.

Immigration confirmed on X that it dispatched a total of 211 officers in 52 groups for the crackdown, and will inspect 26 zones in Greater Male’ area.

The high number of officers were dispatched for the operation to ensure maximum effectiveness of Immigration’s crackdown to locate expatriates culpable of serious offenses and summon them to the authority for inquiries.

Local employers illegally employing foreigners will receive written caution as part of the operation, Immigration added.

“The information collected from the operation will provide insight into the condition in Greater Male’ area,” Immigration said.

The most recent consensus data reveals 26 percent of the Maldivian population is expatriates.

Earlier, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology launched ‘Operation Kurangi’ to identify the total number of expatriates, filter out the documented migrants from illegal immigrants, and provide the opportunity for legitimization for the latter.

As part of the ongoing crackdown, authorities have apprehended and subsequently deported a total of 3,322 expatriates since the current government assumed office on November 17, 2023.