U.S. Dep't of State, 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Maldives

MALDIVES (Tier 2 Watch List) The Government of Maldives does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Despite making significant efforts to do so, it did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period. Therefore, Maldives remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year. Significant efforts included launching a dedicated anti-trafficking hotline and amending the Employment Act to improve protections for foreign workers and penalties for labor violations.

The government drafted a new National Action Plan (NAP), pending final approval. However, the government did not initiate any investigations and did not prosecute or convict any traffickers for the second consecutive year. The government did not identify any trafficking victims. Official complicity in trafficking crimes remained a concern.

Due to inadequate screening, the government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked. While the government could provide temporary accommodation in private guesthouses or in partnership with NGOs, it remained without a shelter to assist trafficking victims, hindering overall protection efforts. PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: Increase efforts to proactively investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, including complicit officials, which should involve significant prison terms. Increase efforts to proactively identify trafficking victims, including among vulnerable groups such as Bangladeshi nationals, Chinese nationals employed by Chinese government-affiliated companies, and other foreign workers through consistent use of the victim identification guidelines, and ensure victims are not inappropriately penalized solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Significantly increase oversight of labor recruitment agencies and employers and refer cases involving trafficking indicators, such as non-payment of wages and passport retention, to police for criminal investigation. Increase the availability of protection services – including shelter services that are victim-centered and trauma-informed, legal assistance, counseling, and medical care – for all trafficking victims, including by partnering with civil society service providers. Increase cooperation with labor source-country governments, including through bilateral labor agreements to improve protections for foreign workers. Adopt the 2024-2028 NAP and dedicate resources to its implementation.

Increase anti-trafficking training for officials, including law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, labor inspectors, and immigration officials, to consistently respond to human trafficking crimes in a trauma-informed and victim-centered manner. Provide access to adequate interpretation and translation services for trafficking victims and ensure anti-trafficking materials are available in appropriate languages for foreign workers. Allocate resources for proactive monitoring of worksites – including guest homes, resorts, and spas – for human trafficking. Allow foreign workers to change employers without requiring employer approval or proof of a violation of their labor rights.

PROSECUTION

The government decreased anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act (PHTA) criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking and prescribed penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for trafficking offenses involving an adult victim and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for those involving a child victim. These penalties were sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other grave crimes, such as rape. The government did not investigate any new trafficking cases but continued investigating one case of forced labor from previous reporting periods; this compared with investigating five trafficking cases during the previous reporting period.

The government did not initiate any prosecutions or convict any traffickers for the second consecutive year but continued to prosecute three cases involving nine suspects from previous reporting periods. Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action. The Maldives Police Service (MPS) and the Anti-Corruption Commission continued investigations – initiated in 2019 – against 22 labor recruitment agencies, including several current or former Maldives Immigration (MI) officers, for collusion in allegedly manipulating the foreign worker recruitment quota system; the government closed its investigations against two agencies during the reporting period due to insufficient evidence, while investigations against 20 agencies remained pending. Officials allegedly accepted bribes to overlook labor violations or dismiss cases, including potential labor violations involving construction companies.

While the MPS Anti-Human Trafficking Department employed dedicated anti-trafficking staff, the unit lacked resources and adequate staffing, hindering overall efforts. There were no specialized judges dedicated to hearing trafficking cases. The government conducted anti-trafficking trainings for MPS, MI, and other frontline agencies, and MI continued to implement a mandatory trafficking training for new recruits. The MPS conducted training on trafficking in online scam operations during trafficking awareness workshops in July 2024.

Observers noted investigative officers and frontline agents needed additional training to effectively identify and investigate trafficking crimes. Officials sometimes conflated human trafficking with related crimes, such as sexual abuse or migrant smuggling, especially in cases involving children; this made it difficult to determine which law enforcement actions involved human trafficking as defined by international law. MPS, in collaboration with an international organization, maintained an online case management system to allow online case submission by potential victims to the police; however, agencies reportedly did not use the system. While the government took steps to increase access to foreign language interpreters for victims and witnesses, the limited availability of interpreters among law enforcement and social service providers continued to hamper overall efforts.

The government did not report cooperating with foreign officials on any trafficking cases despite accommodating a large migrant worker population.

PROTECTION

The government maintained inadequate protection efforts. Officials did not identify any trafficking victims, compared with two identified victims during the previous reporting period. The government utilized its 2016 victim identification guidelines, which provided basic instructions for identifying potential victims and referring victims to care. However, government agencies did not uniformly employ the victim identification guidelines due to a lack of awareness and training among frontline officials.

During the reporting period, the Anti-Trafficking Office (ATO) revised its victim identification guidelines to develop a pre-screening tool to identify potential trafficking victims who would then be referred for a full screening; officials began implementing the pre-screening tool while it remained pending formal approval, reporting it screened at least 305 individuals although none were identified as potential victims. Observers reported the lack of cohesive victim identification and referral procedures describing specific roles for agencies hindered overall protection efforts. While all agencies could screen for trafficking, only the MPS Anti-Human Trafficking Department could officially declare an individual a trafficking victim, which allowed victims access to services and ensured cases would be investigated under the PHTA. The government could provide temporary accommodation in private guesthouses to trafficking victims, in addition to legal assistance, food, and medical care.

However, the government did not report referring any victims to care or providing any services during the reporting period. The government did not have a shelter available to assist trafficking victims, and the guesthouses lacked adequate support services. Article 32 of the PHTA allowed for a 90-day reflection period during which victims could receive services while deciding whether to assist authorities in a criminal case. The Prosecutor General’s Office could provide victim-witness assistance to trafficking victims if their cases went to prosecution, and the government could provide legal assistance to trafficking victims if their cases went to trial.

The government could make special arrangements to protect trafficking survivors during trials, including by permitting testimony be provided in writing or via video; the government did not report providing these services to any victims. The amended PHTA allowed the state to seize assets used in trafficking or gained through trafficking profits. There were no reports of prosecutors filing requests for restitution in criminal cases. There were also no reports of victims filing civil suits against traffickers for damages.

The government did not maintain a victim compensation fund for trafficking survivors. Foreign national trafficking victims could receive a special visa allowing them to remain in Maldives and work during the investigation and prosecution of a case or when there was evidence of forced labor with a previous employer. The MI initiated efforts to pre-screen undocumented workers for trafficking indicators. However, due to inadequate screening among vulnerable populations, the government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

Observers reported no potential victims were referred to MPS for further screening during the reporting period despite instances of unpaid wages, confiscated passports, and other indicators of labor trafficking. Officials more commonly referred potential trafficking cases to the Labor Relations Authority (LRA) and MI than to law enforcement. Observers reported there were victims among Bangladeshi migrant workers in the construction industry and female foreign domestic workers who were not identified. The government continued its re-registration and regularization program, which aimed to provide temporary documentation, legalize undocumented foreign migrant workers, and repatriate foreign workers wishing to return to their home country.

The government reported regularizing 24,540 workers since November 2023, which entitled them to access all services and benefits provided to documented workers, including access to health insurance and changing employers. Government officials did not report screening for trafficking indicators among groups vulnerable to trafficking, such as female migrant workers during law enforcement operations against spas in Malé and in venues suspected of facilitating commercial sex. Authorities continued to arrest and immediately deport foreign nationals found at these venues, and, due to inconsistent use of formal identification procedures, the government did not take effective measures to prevent the inappropriate penalization of potential sex trafficking victims solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked.

PREVENTION

The government increased prevention efforts. The National Anti-Human Trafficking Steering Committee, composed of senior government officials and overseen by the ATO, remained the lead in coordinating the government’s efforts to combat human trafficking and met regularly. Despite its renewed efforts, the ATO remained severely understaffed, which impeded its role overseeing national anti-trafficking efforts. The ATO, in collaboration with an international organization, drafted a 2024-2028 NAP and a detailed NAP for 2025; both remained awaiting final approval at the end of the reporting period.

The government reported allocating Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) 292,449 ($18,965) to ATO training and awareness activities, a decrease compared to allocating 900,000 MVR ($58,370) in the previous reporting period. The government lacked a centralized system to collect trafficking data across agencies. In September 2024, the government ratified an amendment to the Employment Act, to enhance protections for foreign workers. The amendment required prompt payment of wages, provision of certain essential services, and penalties for employers violating these requirements, including a fine of MVR 50,000 ($3,242) per affected worker.

The 2022 Employment Agency Regulation outlined the role of employment agencies in recruiting foreign workers, agency registration and licensing procedures, and prohibitions on worker-paid recruitment fees or withholding passports; agencies in violation of these regulations would face penalties of between MVR 5,000 ($320) and MVR 50,000 ($3,240). The 2023 Expatriate Employment Regulation required employers to register with the government’s online platform and complete an employment course; however, the government did not conduct the course during the reporting period due to a lack of resources. The government reported more than 8,000 employers were blacklisted from the Expat system and ineligible for government contracts; some were blacklisted for labor violations. The government allowed conditional work permits for foreign workers without documents or those seeking to change employers; however, the regulations continued to require the original employer’s permission and authorization from the government despite the new amendment, except when the employee presented evidence of forced labor.

If the LRA or the Employment Tribunal substantiated evidence of forced labor or negligence, a new employer could initiate a new work permit through the Expat system without securing the consent of the previous employer. Observers noted employers could report migrant workers missing to invalidate the worker’s request, and some employers reportedly abused this system to gain additional foreign workers. The LRA had responsibility to investigate reports of unaccounted for workers, but the government did not report the outcome of investigations. The government prohibited charging workers any recruitment fees, but observers reported foreign workers often paid significant recruitment fees prior to travelling to Maldives.

For the seventh consecutive year, the government reported no progress to finalize a proposed MOU with Bangladesh regarding Bangladeshi migrant workers in Maldives. In addition, the government did not report progress on efforts to negotiate labor agreements with India or the Philippines. The LRA had the authority to inspect all worksites – including guest homes, resorts, and spas – and it carried out 618 inspections, compared with 928 inspections during the previous reporting period. LRA identified two potential cases of child labor in 2024, compared with 21 potential child labor cases in 2023, although it did not report any cases of forced child labor or child sex trafficking during the reporting period.

LRA lacked the resources, staff, and training necessary to fulfill its mandate and adequately monitor each atoll, resulting in a largely reactive inspection strategy focused on tourist areas and the most populated islands. LRA did not report conducting human trafficking training for child labor inspectors during the reporting period, although refresher trainings were available to some employees. LRA generally received numerous complaints of non-payment of wages and mediated such claims with the employer or issued fines if mediation failed or the employer committed repeated violations. LRA, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and the employment tribunal could refer labor violations to police for criminal investigation but did not report doing so during the reporting period.

The government conducted some public awareness activities, although observers reported a continued lack of significant efforts to raise awareness of trafficking among the most vulnerable groups. The government had most anti-trafficking awareness materials in Dhivehi and English; however, it lacked materials in languages from top labor-sending countries such as Bangladesh. The government did not make efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts or extraterritorial child sexual exploitation and abuse by foreign tourists in Maldives. The government participated in a multi-country working group to combat human trafficking.

The ATO launched a trafficking in persons hotline in July 2024 and promoted the hotline in several languages. The MPS Anti-Human Trafficking Department continued to operate a 24-hour hotline, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development operated a toll-free child helpline that could receive reports about child exploitation, including trafficking; the government did not report if any victims were identified or referred to law enforcement for investigations as a result of hotline calls. Observers reported the lack of Bengali-speaking hotline operators could have been a barrier to the large number of suspected Bangladeshi trafficking victims. The government did not report providing anti-trafficking training to its diplomatic personnel.

TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Trafficking affects all communities. This section summarizes government and civil society reporting on the nature and scope of trafficking over the past five years. Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Maldives. There have been no recent reports of traffickers exploiting victims from Maldives abroad.

Foreign workers, especially from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, are particularly vulnerable to labor and sex trafficking. Foreign migrant workers comprise approximately one-third of the population of Maldives, including at least 60,000 undocumented workers. Traffickers subject an unknown number of foreign workers – primarily Bangladeshi and Indian men in the construction and service sectors – to practices indicative of forced labor, including fraudulent recruitment, confiscation of identity and travel documents, withholding or non-payment of wages, and debt-based coercion. The government reported that withholding passports and non-payment or under-payment of wages to migrant workers remained the most common trafficking indicators in Maldives, and a study found 47 percent of Bangladeshi migrant workers do not receive their promised wages.

Despite prohibitions on worker-paid recruitment fees, foreign migrant workers reportedly pay thousands of dollars in recruitment fees to work in Maldives, contributing to their risk of debt-based coercion upon arrival. Recruitment agents in labor source countries collude with employers and agents in Maldives to facilitate fraudulent recruitment and forced labor of foreign migrant workers. Traffickers exploit some migrant workers in the fishing industry. Some South Asian women are victims of forced labor in domestic service in Maldives.

Observers report traffickers may also target Bangladeshi workers and unskilled laborers who enter the country on work visas and falsified passports for labor trafficking. Traffickers use Maldivian children in forced criminality, including the transportation of drugs for criminal gangs. Some workers from China likely experienced conditions indicative of forced labor while working for a Chinese state-affiliated company on government-related projects. There were Cuban-regime affiliated workers in the Maldives in 2024; however, Maldivian authorities reported the bilateral agreement the government had with the Cuban regime for 16 medical workers expired at the end of 2024 and the workers departed.

The Cuban regime may have forced Cuban regime-affiliated workers in the Maldives to work. Sex traffickers exploit women and girls from Maldives and other South Asian countries and – to a lesser extent – women from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe in Maldives. Some traffickers transport women from South and Southeast Asia under the guise of tourism or under the pretext of employment as massage therapists and exploit them in sex trafficking. Traffickers use social media to recruit victims with job advertisements at spas and other businesses and then exploit them in sex trafficking.

Police reported misuse of tourist or work visas to bring foreign nationals into Maldives for exploitation in sex trafficking at spas or guesthouses. Traffickers have previously exploited Maldivian children in extraterritorial child sexual exploitation and abuse in the tourism sector in Maldives. On This Page search > < MALDIVES (Tier 2 Watch List) PRIORITIZED RECOMMENDATIONS: PROSECUTION PROTECTION PREVENTION TRAFFICKING PROFILE: Tags Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Human Trafficking Maldives Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Reports