Immigration Services have announced that 80 expatriate workers have been placed in their custody. The Service has also said that measures will be taken against illegal expats.

In a statement released today, Immigration said that a joint operation was carried out with Maldives Police Services to seek out illegal expats in Maldives. The statement reiterated that the Services are currently working to screen the expatriates taken into custody today. Immigration Services reported that following screening procedures, they are working on sending back some foreign expats that need to be deported and banned from entering Maldives for a period of time.

The statement announced that operations were carried out from Zikuraa Masjid to Maaveyo Magu and the Maafannu Gadi Buru today. The operations included inquiring expatriate workers regarding presentation of proper documents. The foreign expatriates without proper documentation was reportedly taken into custody.

Immigration has declared that they will take strict measures as allowed by immigration laws, against any who are responsible for any neglect in bringing the expatriate workers to Maldives.

The statement by Immigration Services report that there are currently 144,607 foreign nationals in Maldives on work visas. There are however, an estimated 63,000 expat workers that are in Maldives without undergoing the designated legal procedures.