Maldivian conducts repatriation flight from Gan to Dhaka

A total of 135 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated back home from the southern international airport of Gan in Addu City.

This is the first repatriation flight to operate from Gan. Previous flights have been operated from the Velana International Airport. The flight departed from Gan in the morning to Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

Maldivian has previously conducted 21 repatriation flights from VIA to Dhaka. Around 4,000 expatriates, 3,500 undocumented were repatriated from these flights. Chartered flights from Biman Airways and a Bangladeshi military airplane also conducted repatriation efforts. 

Our 1st #repatriation flight from #Gan is getting ready to depart to #Dhaka with 135 Bangladeshi nationals. #HappsNow #Maldivian#NationalAirline ???????? pic.twitter.com/2D2EIgkxVW

— Maldivian (@MaldivianAero) July 17, 2020

The government of Maldives is targeting to repatriate 20,000 migrants from the country in the remainder of the year. Economic Minister and Acting Tourism Minister Fayyaz Ismail has previously said that the number of undocumented expatriates could be as high 80,000 to 100,000. It is estimated that 95 percent of undocumented expatriates are from Bangladesh.