Maldives Immigration has revealed that under the largest raid operation in collaboration with the Maldives Police Service (MPS), a total of 8 illegal immigrants running takeaway coffee shops in Hulhumalé, Phase I, were identified and are currently in custody. The initiative, which commenced on June 29, aims to implement the government's policies and address the issue of illegal immigrants across the nation.
Managing cafés, restaurants, and bakeries are among the commercial activities deemed illegal for expatriates. While several foreign individuals actively work in the nation, many of them are illegal immigrants. The government is making strategic efforts to tackle this issue. As such, the government aims to expand this operation across all islands nationwide within the next year and collect information about immigrants to be easily accessed in a single database. The government also targets to solve the issue of illegal immigrants completely within three years.
Aiming to address the issue of illegal immigrants, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has launched a special operation, Operation Kurangi. The operation has been conducted in Himmafushi and Maafushi of Kaafu Atoll, as a pilot programme. Efforts are underway by the ministry to gain the assistance of island councils, Maldives Police Service (MPS), and DNR, as conducting this operation in all islands without any collaborative efforts would pose significant challenges to the ministry.