Transparency Maldives has called on Maldives Immigration to release migrant workers detained after a protest at a resort construction site on Bolidhuffaru, a lagoon in Kaafu Atoll, and to reverse a decision to deport them.
The governance watchdog said on 1 November that about 21 workers were being held at the Immigration Detention Centre in connection with the protest, which began last week. On 2 November it said the police had confirmed that 21 workers were taken directly to the airport for deportation, and that 20 who refused to leave were in detention while Immigration and their employer decide what happens next.
What the group is asking for
Immigration to release the workers and make sure no one is punished for taking part in a peaceful protest
The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives to investigate the detentions and any human rights violations
The Labour Relations Authority to investigate the issues that led to the protest and act to protect the workers' rights
"No worker can be deported for exercising their rights," the group said. It said that under the Constitution, everyone employed in the Maldives has the freedom to stop work and to strike in protest, and that detaining workers for a peaceful protest raises concerns about retaliation.
It added that deportation without due process "only protects companies", and that migrant workers must be able to seek legal remedies for workplace violations.
The site
The Tourism Ministry has said the Bolidhuffaru lagoon plot is leased to Vita Heights Company Limited for resort development. The tourism minister at the time visited the project in May 2025.
Immigration and the company had not made a public statement on the protest or the deportations at the time of writing. The workers' nationalities and complaints have not been officially confirmed.