Former government

Department of Immigration and Emigration has said that several diplomatic passports issued to members of former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government and their families have not been cancelled as they have not been returned to the government.

Controller of Department of Immigration and Emigration Dr Mohamed Ali told Sun Media Group in an interview today that owners of the diplomatic passports have been notified to return the passports, and that the passports have been deactivated. However they cannot be cancelled until they are returned.

He did not indicate the number of passports in question or who they belong to.

He noted that following deactivation, the owners cannot use the passports to depart from Maldives; however, the passports can be used abroad.

Mohamed Ali said that work is underway to solve this problem, but the system in the Maldives does not allow cancellation of these passports such that they cannot be used abroad.

He pointed out that such problems can be solved once the Borer Control System is in place.

“We have only been able to notify a few countries that these passports should not be used. Serious challenges are being faced in solving this problem, but we are working on it,” he said.