Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The Maldivian government has stopped issuing new work visas to Bangladeshi workers in the country as more than 100,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently working in the country, according to the Bangladesh High Commission office in Maldives.
As per the new rules of the island country, only 100,000 workers from any country can work there and that figure cannot be exceeded, the high commission added in a notification issued on May 22.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs of Maldives has officially recently ceased the recruitment of laborers from Bangladesh following concerns over illegal recruitment in the Maldives.
Home Ministry spokesperson Fatimath Rifaath told Maldivian media that the decision to halt the import of Bangladeshi workers was implemented approximately a month ago.
This move comes in response to the discovery that certain companies were recruiting laborers by submitting falsified documents and an investigation into these activities is underway, Rifaath revealed.
Moreover, the government also launched a nationwide operation to address the issue of undocumented migrants.
“Operation Kurangi” and the authorities have collected the biometric data of 705 expatriates as part of the operation.
But in the notification, the high commission explained the issue claiming the suspension is due to a fulfilled quota for Bangladeshi workers, and they were continuously making efforts to increase the quota and re-introduce visas.
The notification also directed the migrant aspirants that there is no such thing as a free visa.
“You have to work in the company from which you got the visa. Violation of this law will subject you to legal action and you may be arrested and deported at any time,” the notification added.
Several unskilled workers of Bangladesh have already been arrested and deported for this reason, read the notification.
All those who are currently working in this country and those who will come to Maldives in the future are again requested to be careful about this, the notification directed.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/347298/maldives-bans-hiring-workers-from-bangladesh
