Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan has stated that expatriates who commit crimes will be deported immediately.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Ihusaan said a major obstacle in solving issues related to expatriates is that agencies related to overseeing their affairs were operating under the supervision of different ministries. He clarified that were handled by the economic ministry while Immigration was operating under the defense ministry, and the police service was operating under the home ministry.
However, Minister Ihusaan said that his ministry is now overseeing the agencies dealing with expatriates and there is no longer any excuse for not resolving the issues. The minister said the most immediate task involves improving services to the extent that the agencies are held accountable. He also said that his priority is to ensure that foreign workers are living in the Maldives in accordance with the regulations.
As such, Minister Ihusaan said the ministry will verify the information of expatriates and identify them at the fingerprint level, adding that the ministry is preparing to begin the work in collaboration with local councils and the police service. He added that a proper database of expatriates will be compiled within the year.
Additionally, Minister Ihusaan the ministry is implementing measures to expedite cases related to expatriates. He said that foreigners living illegally in the Maldives will be deported immediately, especially if they commit a crime. He noted that 60 foreigners have been deported already, including those who have committed crimes.
Furthermore, Minister Ihusaan said arrangements will be made for illegal immigrants who wish to return home on their own accord. He said the government will make special arrangements for them to leave using their own deposit money while they stay at a government facility. He highlighted that many expatriates are unable to return home on their own.
The statistics released by the ministry last month shows that there are 139,000 expatriates with in the Maldives, of these, 90,634 are from Bangladesh. A maximum of 100,000 foreigners are legally allowed to work in the Maldives from any one country.