Foreign Minister Partakes In The Regional Meeting on the Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid participated in the Regional Meeting held on the ‘Protection of Migrants in Vulnerable Situations’. The meeting was organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and brought together several stakeholders across the Asia Pacific region. The main purpose of the event was to assess the progress of member states in implementing Objective 7 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

Giving his remarks at the meeting, Minister Shahid acknowledged the complexity of the situation of migration and shared with the attendees some of the initiatives taken by the current administration to catering to the needs of the migrant population in the Maldives. In this way, he highlighted the inclusivity the Maldives showed during the recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic. He also noted that various social media programs have been launched in the country in partnership with UN entities and civil society organizations that advocate for the acceptance, inclusion and empathy towards migrant workers.

In his remarks, Minister Shahid also threw light on different legislative actions taken by the Government in regard to migrant populations. This included the establishment of the Regulation on Expatriate Employment in 2021, the Regulation of Employees Accommodation Standards in 2021 and the Employment Agency Regulation in 2022. Before concluding his remarks, the Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to further strengthen the legal framework of the Maldives in a way that better protects the rights of migrant workers within the jurisdiction.