President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that works to send back 1,500 Bangladeshis will begin this coming week.

Addressing the nation in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Solih noted that there are many workers in the Maldives who do not have a job nor place to stay.

President Solih revealed that after discussions with the Bangladesh government, works to send back 1,500 workers will begin as early as next week. He also noted that the issue if undocumented workers is something that has been slowly progressing with several culprits behind it.

Speaking on the infection pattern of COVID-19 in the Maldives, the President added that it has been spreading rapidly among workers who are forced to live in tight spaces with several others. He stressed that this is also the biggest challenge in controlling the spread of the disease.

While there are 541 reported cases of COVID-19 in the Maldives, 50% of the cases are Bangladesh nationals.