68 Bangladeshi nationals repatriated from Maldives

The Maldivian government, on Tuesday, repatriated 68 Bangladeshi nationals in Maldives with the assistance of the Bangladeshi Air Force.

The Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated on board the Bangladeshi Air Force aircraft which arrived in the country carrying Maldivian medical students stranded in both Bangladesh and Nepal, along with a 10-member team of medical professionals from Bangladesh who will assist in Maldives' COVID-19 emergency reponse.

Maldives Immigration had instructed Bangladeshi nationals in Maldives with valid passports who wish to return to their home country to register with the Bangladeshi High Commission on Monday.

According to Immigration, the 68 Bangladeshi nationals who were repatriated include 29 immigration detainees.

Maldives has a population of some 200,000 migrant workers, most of whom are Bangladeshi nationals. An estimated 63,000 migrant workers are undocumented.

The Human Rights Watch, in March, had issued a report noting the migrant population in Male’ to be particularly vulnerable to a highly infectious disease such as COVID-19 as they live in congested shared quarters and engage in work that does not make it possible to practice strict social distancing.

The Maldivian capital Male’ identified its first virus case on April 15, since which cases in the capital have surged to 62. It includes 33 Maldivian nationals, 23 Bangladeshi nationals and six Indian nationals.

The surge in virus cases in the capital has led to the total virus cases in Maldives rising to 82.