The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology in the Maldives has issued a new warning to foreign workers who have not yet registered their biometric details, giving them until November 15, 2025 to comply or face deportation under the Immigration Act.
Local outlet The Edition reports that the ministry has identified 27,773 expatriates whose fingerprint, photograph, and biodata records remain incomplete in the government’s Expat Online system.
Officials said the affected workers are employed across 3,942 registered companies and must complete enrollment at the Job Center inside the NCIT building before the cutoff. Sun Online International confirmed the same totals and noted that the new deadline represents another extension following months of shortfalls in compliance.
The drive falls under Operation Kurangi, a nationwide effort to capture biometric records for all foreign workers in the Maldives. Authorities first launched the program earlier this year, linking registration to work permits and residency status. By April, the government had already warned that expatriates who failed to register would face deportation after earlier deadlines, signalling a phased but firm enforcement strategy.
Officials describe the latest phase as a final push to reach full coverage, with the ministry now publicly naming the number of outstanding records and the employers responsible.
Enrollment is being handled through a limited number of designated centers, which may strain capacity as the deadline approaches. Local media report connectivity and staffing issues that could create processing backlogs, particularly in Malé and nearby atolls. The government’s repeated extensions reflect the logistical challenges of collecting biometrics from a large and mobile workforce, but the ministry maintains that the enforcement provisions of the Immigration Act remain in effect.
Operation Kurangi also illustrates a broader regional trend in digitizing migrant-work administration, where biometric systems are tied to identity verification, work authorization, and benefits tracking. Employers are expected to audit their own rosters in the Expat Online database, schedule capture appointments for unregistered staff, and retain consent documentation for compliance reviews.
Sources: The Edition, Sun Online International, Atoll Times, Xpat Maldives
–
By Ali Nassar-Smith
