150,000 expatriate workers biometrically registered in Maldives

The Maldives government has identified 150,000 expatriate workers through biometric data collection, including facial recognition and fingerprinting, according to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

In a statement published on the occasion of Workers' Day, the President said that biometric information of 150,000 foreign nationals has already been collected as part of a wider effort to regulate the expatriate workforce.

President Muizzu described the initiative as a key development in the government’s efforts to manage labour-related issues.

In a post on the social media platform X, he noted that foreign nationals make up the majority of the working population in the Maldives. He expressed concern that many are being denied fundamental rights due to their engagement in undocumented or illegal employment.

He stated that the government's objective is to resolve this issue through permanent solutions. According to the President, the first step in addressing the matter is to create a comprehensive system that enables the biometric identification of all foreign workers in the country.