- The Government aims to complete Operation Kurangi by May 2027, shifting focus to verifying foreign nationals' immigration status and taking action where needed.
- Minister Ali Ihusaan said records listed about 295,000 foreign nationals when the administration took office, but only 22,000 had photographs and fingerprints on file.
- The operation has verified details of about 263,000 foreign nationals, and will trace and deport those without legal status to meet international standards.
The Government aims to complete Operation Kurangi by May 2027, shifting its focus from identifying foreign nationals in the Maldives to determining their immigration status and taking action where required.
Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan gave the timeline at Sunday evening’s Ahaa Forum. He said government records listed about 295,000 foreign nationals when the administration took office, but only 22,000 had photographs and fingerprints on file. The gap made it difficult for authorities to reliably identify people found without documents.
Minister Ihusaan said the operation has since verified the details of about 263,000 foreign nationals. According to the figures he presented, around 95 per cent of the relevant group are in the Maldives and about four per cent are abroad.
With the identification work largely complete, authorities are now working to distinguish those with valid immigration status from those without it. The operation includes tracing undocumented foreign nationals and deporting those who do not have legal status.
Minister Ihusaan said the Government’s goal was to complete the operation by May next year and bring its management of the foreign population in line with internationally accepted standards.
