Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan has announced plans to propose amendments to the law to lift the limit on the recruitment of Bangladeshi laborers. The announcement was made during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services.
Responding to committee inquiries about the current limit, Minister Ihusaan stated that the cap must be removed due to the existing and anticipated demand for labor. Under the current Employment Act, a maximum of 100,000 Bangladeshi laborers can be brought to the Maldives.
Minister Ihusaan emphasised that while the limit should be lifted, additional measures must be implemented to ensure proper management and accountability. Plans include changes to the foreign affairs management system to streamline the permit issuance process and the introduction of special permits for laborers working on islands, aimed at addressing the issue of illegal migrants.
Reviewing border control and expatriate system statistics, Minister Ihusaan revealed that 90,624 Bangladeshi workers currently reside in the Maldives. Highlighting the opportunity to recruit an additional 9,000 workers to reach the 100,000 limit, he stressed that some companies had previously exploited this quota. As a result, borders were closed to Bangladeshi workers to prevent further misuse.
The minister also confirmed that the Maldives Police Service is investigating companies involved in the improper recruitment and release of migrant workers.