Maldives, Sri Lanka ink pact to jointly counter illegal migration

Maldives and Sri Lanka on Saturday inked an agreement to counter illegal migration and tighten border controls.

The MoU was signed during Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid's ongoing visit to Sri Lanka to attend the country's Independence Day celebrations.

Maldivian immigration controller Mohamed Ahmed and his Sri Lankan counterpart signed the agreement, at a ceremony overseen by Shahid and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ali Sabry at the foreign ministry in Colombo. 

"I am confident this will further enhance the bilateral relationship between our nations," Sabry said in a tweet.

However, the Maldivian government is yet to comment on the matter. 

Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had in December cleared a plan to enter into an agreement with Maldives to counter illegal migration and tighten border controls.

Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles had proposed to enter into memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Maldives immigration authorities to prevent “informal migration, human trafficking” and also tackle “blacklisted travelers”, a government statement said at the time. 

The plan also involves facilities for capacity in technology and human resources.