Major changes have been introduced to the regulations governing the employment of expatriates in the Maldives, with new rules banning the recruitment of foreign workers for a wide range of jobs. The amended regulation, published in the Gazette on Sunday, clearly outlines the sectors in which expatriates will no longer be permitted to work, as part of efforts to prioritise local employment.

Under the new regulation, quotas for expatriates in several professions will be abolished within the next two years. These include hairdressers, beauticians, babysitters, personal trainers, English-speaking guest relations officers, electricians, accountants, tour guides and imams.

Additional jobs will be phased out over a longer period. Expatriate employment in roles such as divers, building inspectors, surveyors, site supervisors, nurses and pilots will be repealed after a three-year transition period. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also announced that quotas issued to electrical engineers and dive instructors will be terminated four years after the regulation comes into effect.

Furthermore, expatriate quotas for housekeeping managers, human resource managers, front office managers, as well as primary and secondary school teachers, will be cancelled within five years from the date the regulation is enforced.

These changes come as part of the government’s effort to address issues related to undocumented expatriates in the Maldives. A special operation has already been launched, resulting in the deportation of a large number of foreign workers. During the operation, biometric data of 191,723 expatriates were also collected as authorities work to strengthen monitoring and regulation of the expatriate workforce.