Minister of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology Ali Ihusaan has said that President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s Administration has made significant progress in resolving long-standing issues involving foreign workers that had remained unaddressed under previous governments.

In a post on X, Minister Ihusaan said one of the Government’s first priorities after President Dr Muizzu assumed office was to establish a lasting solution to the issue of undocumented expatriate workers.

Under Operation Kurangi, the Government has collected biometric data from 98 per cent of foreign workers residing in the Maldives.

The nationwide exercise involved recording all ten fingerprints and photographs of expatriate workers. It also enabled undocumented workers to regularise their status and comply with immigration laws.

Minister Ihusaan said the number of expatriate workers who have been regularised has increased by more than 60 per cent as a result of the initiative.

He noted that efforts to address the issue began on the first day of the current Administration, with the Ministry and its affiliated agencies working intensively over the past two years to deliver a sustainable solution.

The Minister also thanked the institutions and individuals who contributed to the biometric registration programme.

He said the progress achieved over the past two years demonstrates the Government’s success in addressing a major national issue that previous administrations had been unable to resolve.