Minister of Homeland Security & Technology Ali Ihusaan has advocated for the removal of the current cap on the recruitment of unskilled labourers from Bangladesh, warning that the country will struggle to meet its labour demands otherwise. The law currently restricts the number of unskilled workers from any single source country to 100,000.
Speaking at a meeting with the Parliament’s National Security Services Committee on Tuesday, Ihusaan revealed that the Maldives is home to approximately 96,000 Bangladeshi labourers. He noted that this limit would soon be reached once the existing ban on recruitment is lifted.
“Given the current and forecasted future demand for labour in the Maldives, the 100,000-limit on Bangladeshi labourers is something we must drop,” he stated.
However, Ihusaan emphasised that this limit cannot be lifted without implementing certain safeguards. Chief among these is the creation of a system to record the biometric data of all expatriates.
He further suggested that requiring expatriates to obtain a separate permit for each island they work on, in addition to their official work permit, would significantly reduce illegal migration. “They must be mobilised only after they are allocated to the island they are coming to, through the system, and after they are endorsed by the council. We are working on bringing this development to the system,” he said.
The Ministry had initially imposed a ban on the recruitment of unskilled labourers from Bangladesh in April to investigate multiple cases of fake documents being used to bring in workers. Ihusaan assured that the Ministry would recommend lifting the limit to the Parliament but would not do so until all safeguards are fully implemented.
“I do not believe we can cater to the current demand in the Maldives by keeping the 100,000-limit,” he added.
The Maldives had previously imposed a ban on the recruitment of unskilled labourers from Bangladesh in September 2019, under the former administration, after it was revealed that the number of workers from the neighbouring country far exceeded the legal limit. The current administration lifted this ban in December last year, only to reinstate it recently.
Illegal migration remains a significant issue in the Maldives. In response, the Home Ministry has launched a special operation named ‘Kurangi’ to crack down on illegal migration. As part of this operation, the biometrics of over 1,500 migrants have been collected so far.
The proposed changes, if implemented, aim to ensure a robust and legal framework for the recruitment and mobilisation of foreign labour, addressing the pressing labour needs while curbing illegal migration.
