Over 50 Illegal Expat Workers Detained in Dhuvaafaru Raid

Maldives Immigration detained 51 illegal expatriate workers during a mass operation in R. Dhuvaafaru, conducted by a joint taskforce in collaboration with the Maldives Police Service.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Maldives Immigration confirmed that the special raid took place from 08:00 am to 05:45 pm. Authorities questioned and screened more than 100 expatriate workers during the course of the operation. However, the nationalities of those detained were not disclosed.

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The raid forms part of an ongoing national crackdown on irregular migration, which began in 2023. Since the start of the initiative, over 6,000 expatriates have been deported from the country.

ގަވާއިދާ ހިލާފަށް ރާއްޖޭގައި އުޅޭ ބިދޭސީން ހޯދުމަށް، ރ. ދުވާފަރުގައި އިއްޔެ ޓާސްކް ފޯސްއިން ވަނީ ހާއްސަ ރެއިޑް އޮޕަރޭޝަނެއް ކުރިއަށް ގެންގޮސްފައި. ދުވާފަރު ކައުންސިލްގެ އެއްބާރުލުމާއެކު ހެނދުނު 8:00 އިން ހަވީރު 5:45 އަށް ކުރިއަށް ގެންދެވުނު މި ރެއިޑު އޮޕަރޭޝަންގައި 100 އަށްވުރެ… pic.twitter.com/Epli5qMxrM— Maldives Immigration (@ImmigrationMV) April 24, 2025

In parallel with enforcement operations, the government has been implementing ‘Operation Kurangi’, a programme aimed at collecting biometric data of all expatriates in the Maldives. As of March 19, the Ministry of Homeland Security reported that biometric data of over 100,000 expatriates had been collected, including 65,000 from the Greater Malé Area. The programme was launched on 2 May 2024.

Authorities have stated that the completion of ‘Kurangi’ is expected to offer a long-term solution to issues surrounding irregular migration.