Maldives Immigration authorities detained 23 undocumented foreigners in a raid at Male’ City’s local market. 

The operation, carried out by a special task force, followed intelligence reports about the large presence of expatriates working without proper documentation.

According to a statement from Maldives Immigration, the task force checked 148 foreign nationals during the raid, targeting not just individuals in the market but also vehicles in the area and those departing from it. 

Of those checked, 22 men and one woman were found to be undocumented and detained for further investigation.

This raid is part of a wider effort by the Government to combat illegal immigration. In 2024 alone, over 5,000 migrant workers have been repatriated.

Authorities have intensified operations like Operation Kurangi, which collects biometric data from foreign nationals, and launched the Immigration Watch platform to allow the public to file reports anonymously.