Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusan has said that 509 foreign nationals have been deported since 15 November as part of ongoing efforts to address illegal immigration in the Maldives. The Minister made the remarks during a press conference held to brief the media on the work of agencies operating under the ministry.
Providing an update on measures to regulate the foreign workforce, Minister Ihusan said the government is implementing "Operation Kurangi" in multiple phases. He explained that the first phase involved collecting data on foreign nationals residing in the Malé region, while the second phase expanded data collection to foreigners working in residential islands, industrial islands and tourist resorts.
As part of the process, biometric data including fingerprints and facial recognition has so far been collected from 202,000 foreign nationals. The Minister said that the third phase of the operation is scheduled to begin next month.
From 1 January to April next year, authorities will intensify efforts to regularise undocumented foreign workers. Minister Ihusan said individuals whose employers have not officially taken responsibility for them, as well as those who have absconded, will be given an opportunity to obtain valid work permits.
He added that a special enforcement operation will be launched from 2 April 2026 until 1 May 2027 to arrest and deport foreign nationals who remain in the country illegally.
“When this process is completed, everyone in the Maldives will be identifiable, and every foreign national will have an employer who is accountable for them,” the Minister said.
Minister Ihusan also noted that the 509 deportations carried out since November involved individuals whose biometric data had not been recorded. With these, the total number of foreigners deported over the past two years has reached 9,697.