MVR 10,000 fine for withdrawing missing expat report

A fine of MVR 10,000 will be imposed on anyone who withdraws a report of a foreigner's escape or disappearance due to the negligence of his employer.

The Ministry of Homeland Security on Thursday announced new measures concerning the reporting of missing foreign workers, effective Sunday. 

Under the new guidelines, a fee structure will be implemented for the reporting and withdrawal of missing foreign worker requests. Specifically, a fee of MVR 1,000 will be charged for each missing report submitted. In cases where a foreign worker goes missing due to employer negligence, the fine increases to MVR 2,000.

If an employer wishes to withdraw a missing report, they will face a significant fee of MVR 10,000. This withdrawal request must be made through the Expat system within 30 days of the initial report. Failure to withdraw the request within this timeframe will result in the same MVR 10,000 fine.

Foreign workers who find themselves reported as missing after Sunday will have a grace period of seven days to withdraw their missing report, also subject to the MVR 10,000 fee.

The ministry emphasised that all procedures related to reporting and withdrawing missing reports will be streamlined through the Expat system, which will include detailed instructions on the main page starting Tuesday. 

This initiative comes in response to complaints from foreign workers regarding their experiences with employers, as some individuals have reportedly fled their workplaces due to various issues. The government is also conducting operations to verify the documentation of foreign workers in the Maldives to ensure compliance with labor laws.