Minister Calls for Humane Treatment of Foreign Workers, Introduces MVR 50,000 Fine

Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan has implored Maldivian employers to treat foreign workers humanely and said that employers found violating regulations on accommodation for foreign workers will be fined MVR 50,000 per employee.

Responding to a question on recent fires in expatriate accommodation that resulted in fatalities, the minister said authorities are investigating such incidents from both criminal and human trafficking perspectives.

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He said the government has been conducting targeted raids on expatriate housing since taking office, closing facilities that do not meet regulatory standards. He added that some progress has been made in addressing the issue in Malé, although a fully satisfactory solution has yet to be achieved.

Ihusaan said authorities will continue enforcement efforts, including shutting down non-compliant accommodations, if further violations are identified.

“All of us should consider that foreign workers are also human beings, just like us; they are here to provide and support their families. Treating them inhumanely in this society has become common practice. We have to change this,” Minister Ihusan said. 

The minister said legal changes have been introduced to strengthen enforcement, including a fine of MVR 50,000 per worker for violations related to accommodation standards. Under the existing Regulation on Employment of Expatriates, gazetted in May 2023, fines for such violations were capped at MVR 2,000 per person.

Last month, five Bangladeshi workers died in a fire at an expatriate accommodation facility in Dhigurah, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll.

The targeted raids are also part of the administration’s efforts to address undocumented immigrants in the Maldives. Most recently, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology extended the deadline to submit documents under the Mass Legalisation Programme to 2 May.

The programme, launched under Operation Kurangi, aims to regularise expatriate workers without valid work permits, with expired permits, or lacking official identification. It was initially announced on 18 December 2025 with a submission deadline of 2 April 2026, which has now been extended following requests from employers.