The recently launched technologically advanced and streamlined system, the foreigner identification application (FIA), will go a long way in permanently resolving the nation's long-standing issue of undocumented foreign residency while simplifying the process for legitimate expatriate workers, the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusan has said.
The announcement was made during an interview with PSM News, marking the occasion of the government’s two-year anniversary. The integration of the new application represents the second major step in President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s prioritised effort to gain control over immigration data and border security.
Minister Ihusan explained that when the current administration took office, official data suggested approximately 290,000 foreigners held active work permits. However, significant discrepancies between border control systems and visa systems indicated a lack of accurate information regarding the actual number of foreigners living in the Maldives.
To address this, the government initiated “Operation Kurangi” on 2 May of last year, a rigorous effort focused on tracking down undocumented immigrants and compiling comprehensive biometric data.
“We have designed an application that can use the collected information,” Minister Ihusan stated, noting that over 200,000 foreigners’ biometric details have already been processed, along with facial recognition data.
“Even if a foreigner does not voluntarily provide information, the system will capture a photo of them. We have now provided this identification tool to frontline police units.”
The FIA system centralises this collected data, allowing for the swift identification of individuals, speeding up the legal issuance of work permits and visas, and simultaneously flagging those residing illegally with the Minister stressing that this mechanism provides a complete solution.
Additionally, Minister Ihusan confirmed that the second phase of the government’s initiative involves strict enforcement and immediate deportation for offenders.
The government is swiftly moving to deport foreigners involved in illegal trade and criminal offences, a crackdown that has, so far, resulted in the successful deportation of over 9,000 people across various cases, he added.