Maldives gives briefing on e-visas for expat Bangladeshis

The Maldives government's immigration department has shared details on how Bangladeshis are being included in its initiative to bring all migrant workers under e-visas.

On Saturday, the country's Immigration Controller General Ahmed Fasih highlighted the initiatives on the e-visa and the new mobile app in a meeting with Bangladesh High Commissioner Md Nazmul Islam at the Maldives Immigration Office.

According to a press statement issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in Malé, the meeting discussed in detail ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation to protect the rights, dignity, and welfare of Bangladeshi expatriates living and working in the Maldives.

“At the meeting, the controller general of Maldives immigration briefed the high commissioner on several recent initiatives, including the introduction of the e-visa system and an immigration mobile application.”

The head of the Maldives Immigration Department said that although there were some technical challenges at the initial stage, those would be resolved quickly. Through the e-visa system, visa status will be verifiable online, and there are plans to issue visas within 24 hours in the near future.

According to the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs, migrant workers previously entered the country on arrival visas with work permits and were required to obtain work visas within 15 days.

During the meeting with the high commissioner, Ahmed Faseeh said that, for existing valid visa holders, visas will now be automatically converted to e-visas upon payment of the prescribed fee, while the system is being applied immediately for new arrivals.

The Maldivian government initially launched the e-visa service for migrant workers on Nov 10 last year. MM Television announced the final rollout of the service on Nov 23.

In its press statement, the Bangladesh High Commission said issues related to the welfare of Bangladeshi expatriate workers were discussed with due importance. The high commissioner said many workers, despite entering the Maldives legally, later face various problems after failing to secure the promised employment, leaving them in vulnerable situations.

“He emphasised the need to protect migrant workers from exploitation and fraud and highlighted the necessity of coordinated awareness-building and effective measures to end the so-called ‘free-visa’ practice.”

The high commissioner also stressed the importance of addressing the dollar shortage and establishing an effective and secure banking system. He further drew the attention of the Maldives Immigration Department to the need for strict monitoring of whether fair wage structures for workers are being properly implemented, ensuring accessible and quality healthcare services for expatriate workers, and taking tough action against institutions and individuals involved in defrauding Bangladeshi expatriates.

In this context, he informed the controller general of different complaints and information received by the Bangladesh High Commission.

In response, the controller general assured that, following verification, companies and employers involved in such fraudulent activities would be blacklisted, and affected workers would be encouraged to lodge complaints with the Labour Relations Authority (LRA).

Both parties agreed on the importance of responsible and ethical recruitment systems in Bangladesh and the Maldives, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to ensuring the safety and protection of Bangladeshi citizens.

Maldives Immigration authorities said that if any changes are found in information in a new passport, a “verification letter” from the Bangladesh High Commission is required for official documentation.

Also, in cases of arrest or deportation, the concerned individual is provided with a written explanation, and all related reports are forwarded to the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Immigration officials added that the lawful deportation process typically takes about three weeks to complete.