Maldives to Expel Expatriates Who Don't Submit Biometric Data
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Synopsis
Expatriates in the Maldives failing to provide biometric data for Operation Kurangi, a campaign aimed at documenting migrant workers, will face deportation. The deadline is set for April 20, 2025, with over 52,000 individuals already recorded. The initiative is part of a broader effort to address undocumented migration in the country.
Key Takeaways
- Operation Kurangi aims to collect biometric data from expatriates.
- Deadline for submissions is April 20, 2025.
- Over 52,495 foreigners have already submitted data.
- Failure to submit will result in deportation.
- Operation helps identify undocumented migrants.
Colombo, Feb 19 (NationPress) Expatriates living in the Maldives who do not submit their biometric data to Operation Kurangi, a comprehensive initiative launched last year for the collection of biometric information, will face deportation, as reported by official sources at PSM News on Wednesday.
Initiated in May 2024, Operation Kurangi is designed to offer a lasting resolution to the problem of undocumented migrants in the Maldives, according to the report.
As a part of this operation, the fingerprints of migrant workers are being documented, alongside checks to confirm that their employment in the Maldives adheres to the necessary regulations.
The data amassed from various regions of the Maldives through local councils will be integrated into a central registry, as cited by Xinhua News Agency.
The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology, which oversees the initiative, has indicated that the deadline for all foreign workers to complete their biometric submissions is April 20, 2025. They have cautioned that expatriate workers who do not provide this information by the deadline will be subject to deportation.
Currently, the biometric data of 52,495 foreigners has already been collected, according to PSM News.
Last month, Maldives' Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology Ahmed Siddeeq stated that following the completion of biometric data collection, undocumented expatriates would be repatriated.
He also mentioned that the biometric collection initiative would help in identifying expatriates entering the Maldives with forged passports or fraudulent travel documents.
He indicated that while the overall operation is expected to conclude in 2027, the collection of biometric data from all expatriate workers is anticipated to wrap up in April 2025.
