Shamman expresses concern over locals aiding undocumented migrants

Shamman Mohamed, Controller General of Maldives Immigration, has urged Maldivians who aid undocumented migrants residing illegally in the Maldives to instead cooperate in efforts to regularize them.

Immigration has conducted extensive operations in Maldivian capital, Male’ City, over the past 10 months to identify and detain undocumented migrants. A major inspection in this trajectory was launched in both phases of Hulhumale’ on Sunday.

Shamman who participated in the inspection on Sunday spoke to Sun on the sidelines during which he cited some Maldivians aiding undocumented migrants as the authority’s biggest concern.

Underscoring the high demand for migrants for labor, Shamman stressed that Immigration has no intention to obstruct such individuals and therewith, advised to get regularized.

In particular, he appealed to Maldivians to hand over undocumented migrants under their oversight and cooperate in efforts to regularize them.

“Our appeal is to not let an undocumented migrant remain under your oversight with immediate effect. If there is such an individual, get them regularized and then, we will not have an issue. That is our advice to the public,” he said.

Shamman noted that immediate action was presently being taken against undocumented migrants including enforcing fines. However, he emphasized that this was not the course of action desired by Immigration and in this regard, reiterated his appeal to Maldivians against letting undocumented migrants remain under their oversight.

Speaking further, Shamman said the longstanding issue of undocumented migrants will be resolved in three years.

He noted that the operation which is limited to Male’ area at present, will be expanded to atolls in the future.

Shamman underscored that Immigration is assisted by Maldives Police Service in carrying out the operations, raids and inspections to identify and detail undocumented documents. He stressed that the efforts would not be a success without assistance from the Police.

“We are truly able to produce results in these efforts because the Police work alongside us. It will be difficult for us to produce such a result without them,” he added.

Notably, the inspection launched in Hulhumale’ on Sunday is being conducted in collaboration with the Police, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Health Protection Agency (HPA), and Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA).

Immigration has detained, and subsequently deported a total of 4,054 immigrant offenders over the last 10 months.

While the current administration targets to resolve the issue of undocumented migrants in the Maldives within three years – Home Ministry is also conducting an operation under the name ‘Kurangi’ through which the biometric data of migrants in the Maldives are being collected to formulate a registry.