Immigration capture 16 expatriate cashiers

Immigration on Thursday took 16 expatriate cashiers into custody as part of a special operation to find expatriate cashiers working in Maldives and deport them.

Immigration media official Hassan Haleel informed Sun Online on Thursday that the 16 expatriates were arrested from various shops in different parts of the capital, Male’.

“They were brought into custody (of Immigration) while working as cashiers in different shops. Today we mainly focused on shops in Male’,” said Haleel.

Haleel said that they had been informed that some shops employed expatriate cashiers at night, and that the operation would therefore continue at night as well.

Haleel said that those captured in the operation would be considered illegal expatriates and that their Visa would be cancelled and they would be deported back to their country.

Immigration has said that those who employed expatriate cashiers would be fined MVR 10,000 to MVR 50,000, and that an additional fine of MVR 2,000 would be taken by Economic Ministry.

Immigration has repeatedly announced that employing expatriates as cashiers in shops and restaurants would be illegal starting April 1. Businesses that still employ expatriate cashiers had been visited and advised during the month of Ramadan as well.