One of the most serious economic and social challenges facing the Maldives when President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed office was the issue of illegal expatriate workers.

Speaking at the People’s National Congress (PNC)’s mega rally on Friday night, the President said the problem ranks among the four major national issues identified by his Administration, alongside corruption, drugs and gang crime.

The issue of undocumented expatriate workers is not new, and successive governments have attempted to address it. Some former ministers publicly pledged to resign if a permanent solution was not found. However, their administrations ended without meaningful progress, and the problem continued to grow.

When President Dr Muizzu assumed office, the Government did not have accurate or updated information on the number of foreigners living in the Maldives, their identities, or their addresses. Records were not properly maintained, and no comprehensive system existed to track expatriate workers.

To address this, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology launched Operation Kurangi, a nationwide effort to document all expatriates living in the Maldives. Island councils were instructed to record and maintain information on foreign workers, and the operation is now nearing completion.

As of Friday night, biometric details including ten fingerprints and related information have been collected from 191,723 expatriates. The data also includes previously unknown details such as where they work and where they live, which law enforcement agencies had not systematically gathered before.

Alongside data collection, authorities have also intensified efforts to identify and deport undocumented expatriate workers and individuals engaged in illegal activities. In the past two years, 9,021 foreigners have been deported. This contrasts sharply with the previous five years, during which only 2,165 foreigners were removed. Deportations under President Dr Muizzu’s Administration are therefore 143 per cent higher.

Beginning Sunday, any expatriate who has not submitted biometric data will not be permitted to remain in the Maldives. The Government will begin tracing and deporting those who fail to register.

For years, concerns have been raised about foreigners engaging in illegal business activities and criminal behaviour by exploiting gaps in regulation and enforcement. The Administration has taken firm steps to address the issue, introducing policies aimed at restoring order and reducing the longstanding burden caused by undocumented expatriate workers.