Over 50 expats detained from Dhuvaafaru in Immigration raid

Maldives Immigration detained more than 50 irregular expatriate workers on Wednesday, in a mass raid by the joint taskforce in R. Dhuvaafaru.

In a brief statement on Thursday, Immigration said the special raid operation in Dhuvaafaru was conducted in collaboration with the police from 08:00 am to 05:45 pm on Wednesday.

The authorities searched and questioned over 100 expatriate workers over the course of the operation.

Total 51 expatriates were detained.

ގަވާއިދާ ހިލާފަށް ރާއްޖޭގައި އުޅޭ ބިދޭސީން ހޯދުމަށް، ރ. ދުވާފަރުގައި އިއްޔެ ޓާސްކް ފޯސްއިން ވަނީ ހާއްސަ ރެއިޑް އޮޕަރޭޝަނެއް ކުރިއަށް ގެންގޮސްފައި. ދުވާފަރު ކައުންސިލްގެ އެއްބާރުލުމާއެކު ހެނދުނު 8:00 އިން ހަވީރު 5:45 އަށް ކުރިއަށް ގެންދެވުނު މި ރެއިޑު އޮޕަރޭޝަންގައި 100 އަށްވުރެ… pic.twitter.com/Epli5qMxrM

— Maldives Immigration (@ImmigrationMV) April 24, 2025

Immigration did not disclose the nationalities of those detained in the raid.

The crackdown on irregular migration – launched in 2023 – has seen over 6,000 expatriates deported from the Maldives.

The Maldives also been running ‘Operation Kurangi’ – a program to collect the biometric data of all expatriates in the country. On March 19, the Homeland Security Ministry announced that they have connected the biometric data of over 100,000 expatriates, including 65,000 from the greater Male’ area, since the program was launched on May 2, 2024.

The government has said that the completion of ‘Kurangi’ will provide a permanent solution to irregular migration.