Over 151,000 Foreign Workers Registered Under ‘Operation Kurangi’

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihsan, has announced that more than 151,000 foreign workers have been registered under “Operation Kurangi,” an initiative to collect information about expatriate workers in the Maldives.

Speaking on the state media program “Raajje Miadu,” Ihsan detailed the government’s efforts to regulate undocumented foreign workers. He confirmed that biometric data, including fingerprints and facial recognition photos, has been collected from 151,694 foreign workers and entered into the database.

“Our systems can now precisely identify these individuals through biometric data. This allows us to track them effectively. Identification was our primary objective in this operation,” Ihsan stated.

The minister explained that the second phase of the operation focuses on legislative reforms, including implementing strict measures against those who exploit foreign workers, imposing fines, and taking action against those who fail to pay their dues.

Ihsan highlighted that after publishing the names of companies with unpaid visa fees, the government has recovered nearly one billion rufiyaa in outstanding payments over the past 18 months. As a result, many previously undocumented workers have now been regularized.

The government continues its efforts to systematically address the challenges related to foreign workers by collecting biometric data and implementing structural reforms.

“Operation Kurangi” was launched on May 3 last year as the first phase of the government’s permanent solution to address undocumented foreign workers. The initiative is being jointly conducted by the Ministry of Homeland Security, Maldives Police Service, and Maldives Immigration.