Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihsan has stated that the ministry will facilitate bringing in foreign workers if the expatriate fees are being paid regularly. The minister made this announcement during a meeting with stakeholders involved in bringing expatriate workers to the Maldives.
The participants of the meeting raised concerns regarding the decision of the government to withhold permits to bring in more expatriates. However, minister disclosed that the permits to bring in more expatriates are withheld due to the negligence made by many individuals and businesses after hiring foreign workers.
The minister disclosed that 90% of individuals and companies who had hired expatriate workers do not pay the fees regularly. He noted that regular payments need to be made to solve the issues arising due to the increase in unauthorised foreign workers.
Noting that the ministry will blacklist and withhold permits of those who do not make their payments regularly, minister stated that concessions will be granted to those that pay their fees regularly. He reiterated the government’s efforts to solve the issue of illegal immigrants in three years.
The government is making strategic efforts to tackle the issue of illegal immigrants in the country and collect information about immigrants to be easily accessed in a single database.