Employers have until April 20 to update biometrics, or face deportation of expat workers

Employers have been given two months to update the biometrics of the foreign nationals they employ in worksites across the Maldives.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Homeland Security Ministry instructed employers to update the biometrics of expatriates under their employee by April 20.

“Expatriates whose biometrics aren’t updated by then will be deported,” warned the ministry.

The new deadline comes after the ministry instructed employers to update the biometrics of expatriates working in Male’ City, Hulhumale’, and Vilimale’, as well as K. Thilafushi and K. Gulhifalhu by March 15.

The latest census shows there are 132,371 expatriates living in the Maldives. A large percentage pf the country’s migrant population is undocumented.

The Homeland Security Ministry launched ‘Operation Kurangi’ - an initiative to collect the biometric data of migrant workers in the Maldives – on May 2, 2024.

The ministry can be contacted via phone at 7690228 or email at [email protected] for additional information regarding the operation.

‘Operation Kurangi’ has seen the collection of the biometric data of over 25,000 expatriates.