Authorities have expanded the ongoing crackdown on undocumented expatriates outside the capital Male’, with a major operation now underway in the southernmost Atoll, Addu City.
About 25 Immigration officers and 25 Police officers are involved in the operation - divided into 13 different teams will be raiding expat hotspots in all areas across the city.
The operation was launched at 7:00 am after a special briefing at the Addu Police School where officers involved were briefed on the details of the raids.
Speaking to PSM News, Controller General of Immigration Ahmed Faseeh said the operation will help solve the problem of undocumented foreigners in the Atolls.
Despite several opportunities to regularise, many foreign expatriates are still choosing to be in the Maldives illegally, Faseeh said.
"I want to say that foreigners will not be safe in the islands away from the capital. The message I want to give is that all foreign workers should make use of the regularisation opportunity," he urged.
This initiative, launched in May 2024, is part of broader efforts by the Government to solve the issue of undocumented migrants in the Maldives. While a special operation titled Operation Kurangi has been launched to collect information on foreigners, the operation is being conducted by establishing a system within local councils to collect biometric data from foreign nationals.
The government aims to bring a permanent solution to the issue of illegal migrants in Maldives by April 2027. Nearly 7,000 illegal migrants have been deported, according to the government.