Maldives allows undocumented Bangladeshis to legalise status

The Maldives government has opened the way for undocumented Bangladeshi migrant workers to get regularised.

The Bangladesh High Commission in the archipelago urged the Bangladeshi migrant workers to apply for visa or work permit on an urgent basis in a notice on Saturday.

Those who will not collect the papers in this round will face “exemplary punitive measures”, the high commission warned.

The employers of the undocumented Bangladeshi workers will need to apply for their documentation to the economic development ministry.

If they need further information they can contact the ministry by dialling 1500 or sending email to [e-mail]. They can also contact the high commission via phone at 3320859 or through the Viber app at7616636.

There is no official data on the number of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in the Maldives. The high commission said in 2019 that the number would be around 80,000.

In total, 110,000 Bangladeshis were in the Maldives at that time and 15,000 had returned home during the pandemic, the high commission said.