Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan has urged the public to share information about individuals expressing intentions to join foreign conflicts. He made the remark at a press conference held to provide information on repatriated members of five Maldivian families who were stranded on the Syrian-Turkish border.
At the press conference, Minister Ihusaan said police intelligence has received information that some individuals were planning to participate in foreign conflicts. He implored on citizens to think about the plight of families that travel to such places, especially the women and children who are orphaned after the men are killed.
Therefore, Minister Ihusaan urged the public to report on individuals who have expressed any intent to join foreign conflicts. He also said that preventing them from leaving would allow the authorities to give them the help they need. He added that individuals who engage in foreign conflicts without obtaining relevant information often find themselves in difficult situations, prompting them to request repatriation from the Maldivian government.
Additionally, Minister Ihusaan said some of the five families brought from the Turkish border were supposed to have gone to India for medical treatment. As such, he said that family members may not initially realize the purpose of their trip, which is to enter the war zones by road or otherwise. Therefore, he urged the public to share information on individuals who have expressed such intentions before they leave the country.
Furthermore, Minister Ihusaan said that the government will prioritise providing assistance to any Maldivian stranded in any part of the world. He added that over 100 Maldivians have gone to conflict zones and 90 want to be repatriated.