Maldives Achieves 98 Percent Biometric Collection of Foreign Workers Under Mass Legalisation Drive

The government has announced that biometric data has been successfully collected from 98 percent of foreign workers holding valid active work permits, marking a significant milestone in the country's ongoing efforts to regulate its immigrant population. 

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu revealed that the remaining two percent of permit holders who failed to comply with the legalisation deadline will face deportation within the next six months as authorities intensify their crackdown on illegal immigration.

In a statement released through his official social media channels, President Muizzu confirmed that Maldives Immigration has conducted a special operation to track down illegal immigrants in the capital city. The operation represents the culmination of months of intensive work under what has become known as Operation Kurangi, a comprehensive initiative designed to establish a permanent solution to the long-standing challenge of undocumented foreign workers in the island nation.

The President specifically highlighted the remarkable progress achieved since the programme began, noting that as recently as November 17, 2023, biometric enrollment stood at a mere 13 percent among eligible foreign workers. Under the programme, each foreign worker was required to submit ten fingerprints and clear facial photographs to establish their biometric identity within the national database.

The final deadline for the mass legalisation programme expired on 2 May, providing what government officials emphasised would be the final opportunity for undocumented immigrants, foreigners with expired permits, and those possessing undocumented identity cards to regularise their status. The Homeland Ministry had made clear through public announcements that no further extensions would be granted, urging all eligible individuals to take advantage of the window before it closed. 

According to the latest data released by the Ministry, more than 181,093 foreigners have successfully updated their biometric information since the operation commenced in May 2024. The initial phase of Operation Kurangi focused primarily on fingerprinting and photographing foreign workers while simultaneously updating and expanding the national immigration database to provide authorities with comprehensive information about the expatriate population. 

President Muizzu indicated that the next phase of the operation, extending over the coming six months, will concentrate specifically on identifying, tracking down, and deporting individuals who remain in the country without proper documentation or legal status. The government has made it clear that there will be no tolerance for continued illegal presence, warning that immigration officers will conduct thorough inspections and raids to ensure complete compliance with the country's foreign worker regulations.

In a measured humanitarian approach, the Ministry has also announced a job matching programme designed to assist unemployed foreigners who successfully updated their biometrics within the designated deadline. This initiative provides an opportunity for documented but underemployed migrants to find legitimate employment opportunities through official channels, reducing the economic pressures that sometimes drive individuals toward informal or undocumented work arrangements.