Over 800 cases have been reported to Immigration Watch established by Maldives Immigration thus far.
The Maldives Immigration established the Immigration Watch on July 17. The platform allows the public to anonymously report illegal immigrants or foreigners attempting to enter the Maldives unlawfully, and other immigrant-related issues. Immigration believes this allows the authority and the public to work together.
According to statistics released by Maldives Immigration, 840 cases were reported to Immigration Watch from July 17 to October 15. Of these, action has been taken on 596 reports, while 174 were classified as unrelated to immigration. The relevance of 70 cases is still under review.
Cases submitted to Immigration are as follows:
Work visa violations: 206
Prostitution: 50
Selling foreign currency on the black market: 7
Tourist visa violation: 10
Employer Sponsor Breach: 9
Document Fraud: 2
Drug trafficking: 9
Human trafficking: 7
Illegal trade: 221
Missing persons: 32
Border Intelligence: 3
Other: 40
The largest number of cases reported are related to illegal immigrants, which accounts for 36 percent of the total cases filed.
Maldives Immigration has ramped up efforts to track down and deport illegal immigrants under the current administration. Since President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu took office in November 2023, over 4,000 foreigners have been deported
