The Controller General of Maldives Immigration, Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, has called on Maldivians to assist in efforts to regularise undocumented migrants living in the country. Speaking on the sidelines of a major inspection in Hulhumalé, Shamaan emphasised the importance of cooperation from the public in addressing the issue of undocumented migrants, which has been a longstanding concern for the authorities.
Over the past ten months, Immigration, in collaboration with the Maldives Police Service, has conducted numerous operations in the capital city of Malé to identify and detain undocumented migrants. On Sunday, a significant inspection was launched in both phases of Hulhumalé as part of these ongoing efforts.
Shamaan highlighted that one of the key challenges Immigration faces is the involvement of some Maldivians in aiding undocumented migrants. He stressed that while there is a high demand for migrant labour in the Maldives, the solution is not to allow migrants to reside illegally but to regularise their status through proper channels.
“Our appeal is to not let an undocumented migrant remain under your oversight with immediate effect. If there is such an individual, get them regularised, and then we will not have an issue,” Shamaan urged.
He noted that while fines and other penalties are being enforced against undocumented migrants, this is not the preferred course of action. Instead, Shamaan appealed to Maldivians to take responsibility by assisting in regularising these individuals rather than allowing them to remain undocumented.
Shamaan also expressed confidence that the issue of undocumented migrants can be resolved within the next three years. Although current operations are concentrated in Malé, plans are underway to expand the efforts to other atolls in the future.
The inspection in Hulhumalé, which began on Sunday, is being conducted in collaboration with several government bodies, including the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA). Shamaan credited the Maldives Police Service for playing a crucial role in the success of the operations, stating, “We are truly able to produce results in these efforts because the Police work alongside us. It will be difficult for us to achieve such a result without them.”
In the last ten months, Immigration has detained and deported 4,054 undocumented migrants. Alongside these efforts, the Ministry of Home Affairs has launched ‘Operation Kurangi,’ which aims to collect biometric data on migrants in the Maldives to establish a comprehensive registry.
The government remains committed to resolving the issue of undocumented migrants, with a clear strategy in place to address this challenge over the coming years.
