The Bangladeshi High Commission in the Maldives has said out of over 100,000 Bangladeshi expatriates in the Maldives, more than 50,000 are in the country illegally.
According to Bangladeshi news agencies, the High Commission, in a press conference held in the office on Saturday, said efforts are underway to register undocumented Bangladeshi nationals in the Maldives and that discussions are ongoing.
'Over the last two years, we have researched ways to resolve the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the Maldives,' High Commissioner Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan said.
Last month, Maldives' Vice President, Faisal Naseem, traveled to Bangladesh and held discussions with Bangladeshi authorities on how to resolve the issue. He also met with the country's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. However, the President's Office did not disclose details of the discussions.
Nazmul said over 100 Bangladeshi nationals are in Maldivian jails, which points to the increasing crime rate among the Bangladeshi community in the Maldives. He said the High Commission is working on extraditing 30 prisoners to Bangladesh.
Speaking on PM Hasina's upcoming official visit to the Maldives, Nazmul said the visit was tentative. During her visit, she will primarily focus on seeking solutions to immigrant issues and enhancing economic ties between Bangladesh and the Maldives.
Last year, the Maldives government suspended allowing new Bangladeshi workers to come to the Maldives in an attempt to resolve the issue of undocumented expatriates.
