The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced that all undocumented expatriates living in the Maldives will be arrested and deported once the designated registration period concludes, as part of the ongoing Operation Kurangi programme to regularise foreign workers. 

According to the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan, biometric data collection efforts have so far recorded information from more than 202,000 expatriates residing in the country. Individuals whose biometric data has been collected but who have not yet legalised their status will be granted an opportunity between January and March to register with their employers and be formally entered into the national employment system. During this period, the Government will facilitate the issuance of quotas and work permits to aid the regularisation process.

Minister Ihusaan stated that the aim of this approach is to ensure all expatriate workers are identifiable, linked to a verified employer, and accounted for within the regulatory framework. He noted that details of each worker’s employment will be recorded so authorities are aware of where they are working and under whose responsibility they fall.

Operation Kurangi is scheduled to run for three years, with the next phase beginning in May 2026. The final year of the programme will focus on identifying and removing expatriates who fail to register or legalise their status. The Minister confirmed that law enforcement agencies, local councils and immigration authorities will jointly conduct nationwide enforcement efforts.

Once the registration window closes, Operation Kurangi will transition into its enforcement stage, during which remaining undocumented individuals will be removed from the country in coordination with law enforcement and immigration authorities. The Ministry has set a target of May 2027 to complete the process, noting that current progress indicates the issue may be resolved ahead of schedule.