Authorities have detained 39 undocumented expatriates during a raid on fishing boats docked near the fish market in Malé City.
The raid was carried out on Monday by a special task force, following public concerns about fishing boats in the area being operated by expatriates. Mohamed Shamaan Waheed, in a post on X, confirmed the detentions.
This operation is part of broader efforts under the PNC administration to address irregular migration. Last week, Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan announced that approximately 5,000 undocumented expatriates have been deported in the past year.
Minister Ihusan also highlighted progress in “Operation Kurangi,” a nationwide initiative to collect biometric data from expatriates. The program has now expanded to 138 islands, with biometric data collected from over 10,000 individuals so far. Authorities aim to complete data collection for all expatriates by April next year.
