Lawyers express concern over removal of expats from Bodufinolhu

Public Interest Law Center (PILC), representing some of the expatriates on B. Bodufinolhu which was the location of major unrest on July 2 have said that it had received information that some expatriates who left the island for necessary reasons were being obstructed from returning to the island, while efforts to move others on the island are also underway.

The unrest that erupted in B. Bodufinolhu involved some 200 expatriates who were subject to months unpaid wages by the companies Seal Maldives and RIX Pvt Ltd. The expatriates became violent and even took some locals hostage, resulting in a police operation to free the locals. Violence ensued and the expatriates even attacked police and obstructed officers from landing on the island. 

PILC said that four workers that had left the island for necessary reasons were obstructed from returning by Seal Maldives. Information was also obtained that the company planned to remove the remaining workers on the island by today.

The organization expressed concern over the matter and said that it had lodged a case with the Employment Tribunal against the contractor of the island RIX company and two of its directors.

The case requests for an injunction to be issued for the company to pay the due wages and amenities of all employees on the island and to arrange the food and healthcare of the employees until the tribunal comes to a final decision.

PILC also said that it was informed that police were looking into the allegations of human trafficking, unpaid fees to the state, unfair exploitation of labor, and the violation of employee rights by the company.

The statement by PILC read that the organization saw conduct that would leave the expatriates homeless and on the streets was a further detriment of irreversibility to the expatriates already in a shambolic situation.

It also called on the state to investigate and take immediate action on the matter, citing the employment laws of the country. 

Labor Relations Authority also issued an order to RIX company involved in the case to pay the due wages to 179 expatriates on the island by July 30. The authority said that it was the responsibility of RIX to arrange labor, their wages and any payments to the state under the agreement with Seal Maldives, who are the developer. RIX company is the contractor for the project and is owned by Milandhoo MP Ali Riza.