Significant progress made in addressing issue of illegal immigrants

The Controller General of Maldives Immigration, Shamman Waheed, has emphasized that recent raid operations in the Maldives focused on tackling illegal immigration, particularly targeting businesses operating under the names of Maldivians and setting up factories in households. These businesses, often involved in food production, raised significant concerns regarding poor hygiene and the sale of products misrepresented as locally produced.

In a special interview with PSM News, Shamman discussed the government’s efforts over the past year to address illegal immigration. He highlighted the significant progress made, including reforms to the immigration system and the development of specialized software designed to streamline operations and facilitate information sharing between government agencies.

Shamman also noted the collaboration with enforcement agencies under the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology to tackle the issue in a comprehensive manner. He revealed that over 5,000 foreign nationals involved in illegal businesses had been deported in the past year. Ongoing special inspections are being conducted to identify illegal foreigners, with companies employing them being subject to fines.

In addition to deportations, the government is gathering detailed information on all foreigners working in the Maldives and accelerating the collection of biometric data to identify foreign nationals residing in the country.