The biometric data of more than 18,000 expatriates have been collected under Operation ‘Kurangi, launched in April, the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology confirmed on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry, the first phase of the operation will work to ensure that expatriates working in the Maldives are operating within the nation’s laws.
While the operation has been launched across 194 islands, work in 50 islands has been completed, it was confirmed.
As part of Kurangi, expatriates will be fingerprinted and their information cross-checked to verify that they are employed legally.
Information will be gathered by setting up biometric data collection points at council offices, and a main register of expatriates will then be compiled based on the data.
Kurangi, launched as part of the administration’s efforts to find a permanent solution to the problem of illegal immigrants, will go forward in three phases.
Phase One will be conducted throughout the first year of the operation and will identify nationalities, numbers employed across the nation, and local sponsors or organisations employing expatriates.
Within the following two years, undocumented expatriates will be identified, biometric data collected, and photo IDs made.
Should there be no available information about any given expatriate within the established database, the government will then work to deport them via the individual’s embassy by obtaining original identifying documents through such diplomatic missions.