Nasheed says islanders' dislike for rural living lead to migration

Parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed on Tuesday said that the number of people migrating to Male from the atolls is increasing because they do not like their lives in the islands.

Nasheed made the statement in response to a resolution calling for an end to discrimination in electricity bills in Male and atolls. During the debate on the motion, MPs also spoke about the reasons for migration.

Nasheed said that one of the main reasons why people migrate from islands to Male was because they wanted an "urban" life. He said that the lack of entertainment and leisure options in the islands was also a reason for migration.

Nasheed said that the millennial generation does not wish to lead rural lives.

"I can see now that the current generation is more interested in entertainment and life in the islands doesn't provide the youth with enough recreational  opportunities. The current generation is unwilling to live rural lives. There are many such other factors in this matter," said Nasheed.

He said that although the government is working to provide competent public services in all islands, it is evident that there is no decrease in the number of migrants to the capital.

"The government has worked hard to provide public services to all the islands without bias on island sizes or populations. However, it is essential to expand our thinking now that we can see there is no change to migration statistics," Nasheed said.

Nasheed's comments come amid heated debate on social media over the government's decision to lease land free of charge from Male for natives of the capital.