Govt asks renewal of inactive worksite permits

The Ministry of Homeland Security has ordered the renewal of permits for worksites and establishments that have not taken foreign worker quotas for more than one year.

In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry said it is working to establish a structured system for issuing permits and managing matters related to foreign workers.

Under the initiative, worksites registered on a project basis to recruit foreign workers to the Maldives will be converted to “pending site clearance” status from Tuesday.

The ministry also said that registered worksites that have not taken a quota for more than one year will be converted to inactive status from Tuesday.

The ministry has instructed that expired worksites be reactivated and that expired documents be renewed. It said all updates must be carried out through the Expat system.

The Ministry of Homeland Security said it is working to ensure that foreign nationals working in the Maldives are legally resident. As part of this effort, immigration authorities and the police are conducting operations to check the documentation of foreign workers.

The ministry also said that a three-month period has been granted for the regularisation of foreign nationals residing in the Maldives without valid documentation.