Over 500 Foreign Nationals Deported in a Month, Says Homeland Security Minister

The Maldives has intensified efforts to regulate the foreign workforce, with 509 foreign nationals deported since 15 November 2025 as part of ongoing measures to address illegal immigration. 

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology outlined the deportations during a press briefing on the work of agencies operating under the ministry last Thursday.

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

Authorities are implementing “Operation Kurangi” in multiple phases to manage the presence of foreign workers in the country. The first phase focused on collecting data on foreign nationals residing in the Malé region, while the second phase expanded data collection to foreigners working on residential islands, industrial islands and in tourist resorts.

Biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition, has so far been collected from 202,000 foreign nationals. The third phase of the operation is scheduled to begin next month.

From 1 January to April next year, authorities will intensify efforts to regularise undocumented foreign workers. Individuals whose employers have not officially assumed responsibility for them, as well as those who have absconded, will be offered the opportunity to obtain valid work permits.

A special enforcement operation is planned from 2 April 2026 to 1 May 2027 to arrest and deport foreign nationals who remain in the country illegally.

The Ministry noted that the 509 deportations carried out since November involved individuals whose biometric data had not been recorded. With these recent actions, the total number of foreign nationals deported from the Maldives over the past two years has reached 9,697.

Authorities emphasised that once the process is completed, every foreign national in the Maldives will be registered, and all will have accountable employers.