Sixteen expatriates have been detained by Maldives Immigration following a targeted operation to identify and apprehend undocumented foreign nationals in Malé City.

Immigration authorities said the operation was carried out yesterday, during which the multi-agency task force officers raided two accommodation blocks. A total of 113 expatriates were checked during the operation, with 16 individuals found to be undocumented and subsequently taken into Immigration custody for further action.

According to Maldives Immigration, the operation is part of ongoing joint efforts by relevant authorities to locate undocumented expatriates and address illegal employment and business activities across the country. The task force is operating in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

Expatriates found to be residing or working in the Maldives without valid documentation are being repatriated in accordance with immigration regulations. Over the past two years, a total of 9,188 undocumented expatriates have been repatriated from the Maldives.

The Government has also collected data on more than 190,000 expatriates in efforts to strengthen monitoring, regulate foreign labour, and ensure compliance with immigration and employment laws. Immigration officials said enforcement operations will continue as part of measures to maintain public order and uphold the legal framework governing expatriate employment in the Maldives.