Maldives Immigration has detained five foreign nationals following a series of targeted raids across 11 small business premises in the capital region, as authorities continue a broader nation-wide crackdown on illegal employment and unauthorized commercial operations.
Officers from the dedicated immigration task force inspected 42 expatriate workers during the operation. They targeted a wide array of small enterprises, including beauty salons, vehicle repair garages, storage godowns, money exchange outlets, and retail shops.
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Following initial inspections, officers subjected five individuals to secondary verification before taking them into custody for alleged violations of national immigration laws and work permit regulations.
The task force executed the operation in collaboration with the Maldives Police Service and the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology. The joint effort marks the latest phase in an intensified, nationwide campaign targeting foreign nationals residing or operating businesses in breach of regulatory frameworks.
The recent operation follows a similar enforcement drive in June of this year, when immigration officials detained seven expatriate workers after inspecting 17 individuals across business premises suspected of operating outside legal parameters.
The government has increased its enforcement operations in recent months, focusing on undocumented foreign workers and unregistered business operations. State authorities have compiled biometric and biographical profiles on hundreds of thousands of expatriate workers as part of a comprehensive national database project.
Government officials have stated that the current enforcement posture will transition into stricter measures next year. Under the upcoming framework, authorities plan to deport non-compliant foreign workers without granting further opportunities for visa regularisation or legalisation.
