President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government has so far collected the fingerprints of more than 191,700 foreigners residing in the Maldives.
He made the remarks at a mega rally organised by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) on Friday night, the “Dhivehinge Raajje” rally.
Speaking at the event, the President said that effectively addressing the issue of undocumented migrants is one of the key priorities of the current administration. He noted that the issue has persisted across successive governments, but none had succeeded in resolving it. However, the current government is already undertaking efforts to address and resolve the issue, he reiterated.
The President said when the current administration began its work, there were no statistics on the number of foreigners in the Maldives. Today, he said, the government has collected data on more than 191,000 foreign workers, he said.
"We have taken ten fingerprints of 191,723 foreigners since we started the operation. We now know who the foreigners in the Maldives are, where they reside, and all relevant information. The deadline for providing biometric data expires tomorrow. Any foreigner who remains unregistered or has not submitted biometric details will be immediately deported if found in the operation that will begin the very next day. Not a single foreign worker can remain in this country without giving biometrics or their details,” the President said.
The President also noted that over the past two years, the government has deported 9,021 foreigners, including undocumented migrants, individuals who committed various offences and those who did not wish to become regularised. This figure is 143 percent higher than deportations under the previous government, he said.