Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihusaan has said the issue of undocumented foreign nationals in the Maldives is expected to be resolved by May 2027.

Speaking at the seventh session of the Ahaa Forum at Sultan Park, Minister Ihusaan said the Government aims to significantly reduce the undocumented foreign population while ensuring full compliance with immigration regulations.

He said measures introduced through amendments to the legal framework would also hold parties responsible for bringing and employing undocumented foreign nationals accountable, including a MVR 50,000 fine for each undocumented foreign national.

Minister Ihusaan said efforts would also help create greater employment opportunities for Maldivians by reducing the participation of undocumented foreign nationals in jobs currently carried out by Maldivians.

He said the issue had not been treated as a serious concern for several decades, but the Government was now implementing a range of measures to address it.

When the current administration assumed office, 295,000 foreign nationals were recorded in the Maldives, Minister Ihusaan said. Of these, only around 22,000 had been identified through fingerprint registration.

He said efforts over the past period had resulted in the registration of around 260,000 people, leaving only about one per cent of the foreign population without biometric registration.

Minister Ihusaan added that the Maldives, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are among only three countries where the proportion of foreign nationals without biometric registration or complete information is below the one per cent threshold.