Maldives extends ban on new labourers from Bangladesh

The Maldives Ministry of Economic Development on Thursday extended a ban on bringing in labourers from Bangladesh.

The ban, which was set to expire on September 18, has been extended for one year, according to Maldives-based English news portal The Edition.

Earlier in 2019, Economic Development Minister of the Maldives Fayyaz Ismail had set a quota of a maximum 150,000 migrants from any other country living in the Maldives at any time. The entry of new labourers from Bangladesh was banned as the number of Bangladeshi immigrants in the Maldives already exceeded the quota.

The ban does not apply for professional-level employees.

On Monday, the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 5,049 undocumented Bangladeshis had been repatriated, so far, and a total 20,000 labourers are to be sent to their home countries by the end of the year.