Over 1,500 undocumented Bangladeshi workers have been sent home from Maldives, thus far.

National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC)’s spokesperson Mohamed Mabrook Aziz revealed this at Tuesday night’s Covid-19 press briefing.

Noting that a total of 1,935 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated thus far, Mabrook said that 342 of them were living in the country legally.

Hence, a total of 1,593 undocumented Bangladeshi workers have been sent home.

The repatriation programme of undocumented workers are being conducted by the foreign ministry together with the economic ministry and the Bangladeshi High Commission in Maldives, under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s instructions.

Addressing the public on May 4, President Solih announced the programme to send about 1,500 undocumented workers from Bangladesh.

In his latest address on May 20, the president stressed that the Covid-19 pandemic also gives the opportunity to improve "many unfavourable practices" in the country such as improving the living conditions of expatriate workers.

The Bangladeshi government has provided various assistance to the Maldives' Covid-19 response efforts, in addition to supplying essentials such as medical equipment and food.

As such, Maldivians stranded in Bangladesh and Nepal were repatriated through a special military aircraft recently and the country has also sent an experienced medical team to the island nation.