The Maldives Immigration has launched a major operation to track illegal immigrants without valid visas running illegal businesses in the Greater Malé Region.

Immigration said in a post on X today that 211 immigration officers are participating in the operation. The officers will be divided into 52 groups and will search 26 zones in the city.

"The operation aims to identify foreigners who are illegally engaged in small and medium enterprises in Malé area, ask them to appear before Immigration, and issue written advice to those Maldivians who employ foreigners illegally," the Immigration said.

Immigration said the information gathered from this operation will help identify and further assess the situation in the city.

Immigration has arrested and deported 3,322 foreigners in the past nine months as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants.