Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail has revealed only 1,362 individuals arrived in the Maldives from Bangladesh following the control measures imposed on bringing in Bangladeshi labourers.
Speaking at a press conference held at the National Operation Centre (NEOC), Minister Fayyaz said only 1,362 Bangladeshis arrived after the control measures, while previously the number stayed at between 3,000 and 5,000 per month. The minister further explained while the 1,362 were unskilled workers, 38 individuals arrived from the professional category.
The minister said the efforts to regularise the illegal workers in the Maldives saw 40,000 individuals registering to regularise while around 20,000 individuals still remain undocumented. He further stated 826 of the regularisation applicants also requested to return home and hence, they will be sent back home once the lockdown is over.
The government said it will see results of the efforts to mitigate the issue of illegal workers in the Maldives within a year. The regularisation programme has been discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.