Somali castaways handed over to immigration
A video of them walking down a street in the island has been shared widely on social media.
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By
Aishath Maha
Three Somalis who were in a dinghy that washed ashore in Noonu atoll Vavathi island on Saturday have been handed over to the immigration facility in Hulhumale.
Noonu Vavathi is an uninhabited island leased for agriculture.
Police, in a media message on Wednesday informed of their being handed over to the Immigration Authorities.
Police had earlier shared pictures of the three castaway Somali men sitting on a bench in Vavathi, and said they had likely drifted to Maldives.
They were then relocated to Holhudhoo island in the atoll, under care of the local island council. A video of them walking down a street in the island has been shared on social media.
Somalia, situated to the east of the Maldives, has historically brought a significant number of people to Maldivian territory. These individuals unintentionally drift or arrive for piracy-related reasons. Recently, another group of drifters was discovered outside the North Ari Atoll, also in a dinghy.
Before 2010, the number of drifters increased, and military custody held up to 40 people. Repatriating them proved time-consuming because the army couldn’t confirm their origins.
