The Minister of Homeland Security, Ali Ihusan, has dimissed rumors of the Bangladeshi expatriate workers’ community in the Maldives exceeding legally allowed limit.
Maldives government recently lifted ban on hiring Bangladeshi expatriates the Maldivian workforce after a four-year restriction period. A decision that has since attracted widespread criticism from the public and politicians.
Former Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail said the reopening of borders for Bangladeshi workers was unlawful after their quota capacity has reached its limit.
The former minister also highlighted the relevant Act which stipulates the maximum quota capacity of foreign expatriates allowed to the Maldives for employment from any country.
Section 65(a) of the Employment Act states the maximum number of quotas for expatriates from any foreign country would be 100,000. The government sought to legally prohibit further Bangladeshi hires in the Maldives after their expatriate community supposedly exceeded the legally allowed limit.
However, the Minister of Homeland Security assured that the current Bangladeshi workers total in the Maldives was well within the legally allowed limit. He confirmed a total of 90,620 Bangladeshi workers currently active in the Maldives.
The minister further said that the current government relied on the border control system for a more accurate reading on the expatriate community instead of relying on the expat system. He said that while the expat system showed all the active work permits, it does not reflect an accurate headcount of expatriates currently residing in the Maldives since thousands of work permits, that require cancellation, are still active.