Home Minister Ali Ihusan announced today that the government’s "Operation Kurangi," a dedicated effort to permanently resolve the issue of undocumented migrants, will soon enter a major phase of mass deportations.
This phase follows a final opportunity for migrants who have already submitted their biometric data to secure valid work permits. Launched on 2nd of May of last year, the operation involves all agencies under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and aims to fully address the illegal migration crisis within a three-year timeframe.
The initial stages of the operation focused on updating the national database by collecting ten-fingerprint biometrics and high-resolution facial photographs of foreigners across the Malé area, a process that has since expanded to all inhabited islands, resorts, and industrial zones.
During a recent press conference, the Minister revealed that 202,000 foreigners have been verified and recorded in the system to date. This figure, which includes those currently without valid permits, represents a significant 50% increase over the 132,493 foreigners estimated in the 2022 census, highlighting the previous lack of accurate data.
The government intends to open a final regularization window starting on January 1, 2025, which will run until April 2, 2025. During this three-month period, employers will be granted access to streamlined system features designed to make it easier to bring their workers into legal compliance.
However, once this window closes in April, the final phase of the operation will commence, involving the systematic arrest and deportation of all individuals who remain undocumented. The Minister emphasized that the goal is to ensure that by May 1, 2027, every foreigner in the Maldives is biometrically identified, assigned to a responsible employer, and trackable through a live system that ensures full accountability to the state.
While the regularization window remains open for those with recorded biometrics, the government has already begun deporting individuals who failed to provide their data by the previous deadline of last month.
Minister Ihusan noted that 509 foreigners have been deported for this reason in the last few weeks alone, contributing to a total of 9,676 deportations since the current administration took office just over two years ago.
