A major immigration operation was conducted in Addu City, during which 83 undocumented migrant workers were detained as part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen border and migration control.

The operation, titled Operation Hamamagu, was carried out on Wednesday and involved 50 officers from Maldives Immigration and the Maldives Police Service, working in 13 teams to inspect all districts of Addu City. Controller General of Immigration Ahmed Faseeh and other senior officials were present on-site to oversee the operation.

During the inspection, authorities verified the documents of 678 migrant workers. Of those, 83 were found to be residing or working in the country without valid documentation and were detained. In addition, notices were issued to 75 employers found to be illegally employing migrant workers.

According to Maldives Immigration, the campaign aims to address the growing number of foreign nationals living or working in the Maldives outside the legal framework, despite the existence of formal pathways for migrant employment.

The Government has intensified similar efforts to address illegal migration through regular enforcement operations. As of June 19, 2025, a total of 7,549 undocumented individuals have been deported. In parallel, Operation Kurangi has recorded biometric data for 151,694 migrant workers to improve monitoring and regulation.

Immigration officials stated that related operations will be conducted in other parts of the country in the coming weeks as part of the ongoing nationwide campaign to uphold immigration laws and enhance regulatory oversight.