Maldives Immigration said of Tuesday it had stepped up efforts to cut the number of expatriates and establish a mechanism to properly monitor foreign workers.
Spokesperson at the agency Hassan Khaleel said that “as part of the efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, we are seeking a Bangladeshi agency to ensure that undocumented foreign workers are not allowed to travel here.” “The Bangladeshi agency will conduct pre-departure screening of Bangladeshi migrant workers coming to the Maldives,” he said.
He added that “the overall objective of conducting pre-departure screening is to strengthen the labour migration process from Bangladesh to the Maldives, and the initiative will significantly contribute to streamline the labour migration process and tackle the issue of illegal labour migration between the two countries.”
Khaleel noted that Bangladeshis account for a large portion of the migrant worker population in the Maldives, and that they are aware that a significant number of them are undocumented.“The main task of the agency will be to ensure that immigrant workers coming here, come through the proper channels and possess necessary documentation,” he added.
According to Maldives Immigration, it is currently in the process of evaluating proposals from interested Bangladeshi agencies. Maldives Immigration said, after a Bangladeshi agency is assigned, foreign workers will only be allowed to travel to the Maldives through ten recruiting companies selected by the Bangladeshi agency.
It further said pre-departure health screenings and security screenings will be conducted by the Bangladeshi agency. Currently, foreign workers are allowed a 15-day period since their arrival to conduct necessary health screenings.
According to statistics, over 500 foreign workers who travelled to the Maldives by July this year were found to carry contagious diseases. The census conducted in 2014 shows the number of foreign workers in the country stands at over 63,000.