Population of irregular migrants down from 72 to 38%, says home minister

The population of irregular migrants residing in the Maldives has gone down from 72 to 38 percent since the government launched ‘Operation Kurangi’, according to information shared by Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan.

The 2022 census places the population of Maldives at 500,000, including some 382,000 Maldivians and 132,400 migrants. This means that migrant workers make up for 25 percent of the total population.

But this number is expected to be higher, given the high number of undocumented workers in the country.

The Maldives launched a crackdown on irregular migration in 2023. And in May 2024, the authorities launched ‘Operation Kurangi’, an initiative to collect the biometric data of all expatriates working in the Maldives.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Ihusan told reporters that when ‘Operation Kurangi’ launched, there were some 148,417 migrants residing in the country without a work permit, visa, or other mandatory papers.

He said that the authorities have managed to make a considerable dent on this figure through the operation.

“When we looked at the information in the system, the population of migrants who were residing in line with laws and regulations at the time was 28.97 percent. But through our efforts over the last two years, we have managed to boost the percentage of people who have their payments and documents in order from 28 percent to 62 percent,” he said.

This means that the population of undocumented migrants has gone down from 72 percent to 38 percent.

Ihusan said that while the fingerprints of some 206,0000 migrants were collected through ‘Operation Kurangi’, 2,933 migrants have yet to provide their fingerprints.

He said that Maldives Immigration has identified these individuals.

Ihusan said that the third phase of ‘Operation Kurangi’ will launch on May 2. He said that the phase will last one year, and will entail identifying, arresting and deporting all irregular migrants.

Addressing employers, Ihusan noted that the status of migrant workers and the deadlines for visa payments is clearly visible on the Xpat system, and urged them to ensure all fees are paid on time.

Ihusan also expressed concern over the inhumane treatment of migrant workers by some employers, and warned that such incidents will be punishable with fines of MVR 50,000 per migrant.