Minister says 5,000 undocumented expats deported in past year

Homeland minister Ali Ihsan announced on Wednesday that approximately 5,000 illegal immigrants were deported from the Maldives over the past year as part of ongoing efforts by the immigration department to address illegal immigration.

Speaking in an interview with PSM, Ihsan highlighted that the growing number of undocumented foreign nationals has become a significant challenge for the country. He noted that the immigration department has been intensifying its actions to address this issue.

Last month, during a press conference at the President’s Office, Immigration Controller Shamm’an Waheed shared the agency’s objective of deporting 5,000 illegal immigrants within the government’s first year.

In his update on Wednesday, Ihsan confirmed that this goal has been met. He detailed that the deported individuals were involved in various unauthorised economic activities and criminal offences. According to the minister, all deportations were processed within 48 hours of each arrest.

The immigration department previously outlined the categories of deportees, which include:

Ihsan also provided updates on the Kurangi Operation, a nationwide effort launched by the immigration department to collect and catalog information on undocumented foreign nationals. Under this operation, biometric data from approximately 10,000 foreign nationals has been collected to date. The initiative aims to extend data collection across all regions in the Maldives, with a target completion date of April next year.

The minister noted that, through this operation, authorities expect to gain a clearer understanding of the number of foreign nationals residing in the country and identify the individuals and entities responsible for their employment and residence arrangements.