112 illegal immigrants under custody; all set for deportation

Maldives Immigration reports a total of 112 illegal immigrants are currently under the authority’s detention, adding all of them are set for deportation.

Immigration added that these expatriates have all been detained during the authority’s ongoing crackdown to identify illegal immigrants and expatriates operating businesses illegally.

The total of number of detained expatriates Immigration authority reported to ‘Sun’ online on Sunday, had been brought under custody through the raids and inspections conducted since June 29 until this Saturday.

Immigration is now working on deporting the foreigners back to their home countries.

Breakdown of Detentions

• June 29: 69 detentions

• July 3: 4 detentions

• July 5: 8 detentions

• July 7: 6 detentions

• July 8: 8 detentions

• July 9: 6 detentions

• July 10: 5 detentions

• July 13: 6 detentions

Immigration previously said it would take strict action against illegal immigrants and expatriates who own and run businesses illegally.

Following the authority’s recent nationwide crackdown, Immigration said it has already deported over 1,800 expatriates back home.

While the migrant worker population is distributed across multiple industries in the Maldives, many have of these foreigners illegally own and operate businesses. The prevalence of illegal immigrants is an added woe to the issue.

Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology earlier launched the nationwide ‘Operation Kurangi’, under which biometric data of more than 1,500 expatriates have already been collected. The operation aims to identify and register the immigrants living in the Maldives, and provide the opportunity of legitimacy for illegal expats.