More than 8,000 expatriate workers have been suspended from the government’s Expat system for failing to pay mandatory fees, as part of ongoing efforts to address undocumented labour in the Maldives.
The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology confirmed that over 8,900 foreign workers were suspended following a one-month grace period given to employers to update workers’ biometric details, a requirement many failed to meet. The announcement was made on state media.
The suspensions form part of a wider initiative launched in December 2023, which seeks to bring all foreign workers under a legal framework while recovering outstanding fees owed to the state. To date, the government has collected USD 77.8 million out of a total USD 110.2 million in outstanding payments. Officials have also reconfigured the Expat system to ensure that those with unsettled fees are denied future services until payments are made, making timely settlement a condition for accessing expat-related services.
Workers and employers with large outstanding fines have been allowed to clear dues through instalments. Although the original one-year deadline was set for October 2024, authorities have extended the period to enable those on payment plans to complete their settlements.
This action follows several other measures rolled out in recent months, including the completion of biometric registration for 150,000 expatriates in May, as well as enforcement operations and deportations targeting undocumented workers.
The suspension of thousands from the Expat system marks a major step in the government’s broader crackdown, which centres on modernising the regulatory framework, strengthening oversight, and ensuring compliance across the foreign labour sector.
