Three foreign nationals have been detained by Maldives Immigration following a raid at Hiyaa flats in Hulhumalé Phase 2.

The operation, which took place on December 21, involved searches at 13 business establishments within the flats, including shops, cafés, restaurants, bakeries, and salons, as part of ongoing efforts to address undocumented immigration in the country.

Maldives Immigration confirmed that the three individuals were working without proper documentation in two of the businesses raided during the operation.

This raid is part of a broader initiative by the Government to identify and detain undocumented migrants, with over 5,000 migrant workers already repatriated as part of it.

Authorities have significantly intensified their efforts to combat illegal immigration over the past year. Special operations such as Operation Kurangi aim to gather biometric data from all foreigners in the Maldives, while the launch of the Immigration Watch platform in July 2024 enables the public to anonymously report illegal immigration activities.