Illegal expats arrested in Guraidhoo and handed over to Immigration Department

A total of 26 expats who had been living in Kaafu Guraidhoo without papers have been arrested and handed over to the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

The police spokesperson said that the 26 Bangladeshi men were arrested under an operation carried out by the police in collaboration with the Immigration Department to identify and locate illegal immigrants.

“The people arrested in Guraidhoo did not have any valid documents, including work visa,” said the police spokesperson.

Police further said that 60 people were questioned and 31 people were taken into custody under this operation, and five of them were released when their sponsors arrived and showed their papers.

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim said on Sunday that 7,962 expats have been repatriated this year, under the voluntary departure program and efforts to repatriate expats living illegally in the Maldives.

He said that the number of illegal expats still stands at around 30,000, and according to Immigration Department’s records, the total number of expats in the Maldives has reached 120,000.