The ruling People's National Congress (PNC), which has a supermajority in Parliament, has called for the bill on banning Israeli passports to be fast-tracked after keeping it parked at the committee stage for four months.
In a press release issued on Tuesday night, PNC said the party supports amending the Immigration Act as soon as possible to ban Israeli passports as decided by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in June.
"This party urges the Parliament to expedite the research into the amendments to the Immigration Act, which is currently pending in the Parliament, and to make the President’s decision a reality in line with the spirit of the people," the PNC said.
The Cabinet decided on June 2, 2024, to make the necessary changes to the law to ban Israeli passports amid widespread calls for a ban in connection with the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people.
However, the decision has not yet been legally enforced.
In June, Galolhu Dhekunu MP Meekail Naseem introduced a bill to amend the Immigration Act to prevent people with Israeli passports from entering the Maldives.
The bill has been parked at the Security Services Committee (241 Committee) for more than four months. The committee has concluded several matters submitted after the bill was submitted.
