Malé, Maldives – Maldives Immigration has released a statement warns against hiring foreign nationals to perform music and photography without proper visas.
In their statement, the Immigration said that the most frequent complaint is regarding the employment of such personnel to resorts and other businesses.
They expressed concerns over the negative effect of this practice by businesses and resorts on the livelihoods of local artists, and urged all parties involved to refrain from activities that affect the future of local artists.
Recently, the Musicians Union of the Maldives has started a campaign requesting the government to take legal action against establishments employing foreign musicians to perform unlawfully in the Maldives.
The Union has said that despite the shattering effect of the pandemic on an already fragile sector, some resort establishments have disregarded the impact it has had on local artists and, rather than providing them with opportunities, have chosen to marginalise the local musicians’ community by openly recruiting foreign artists to perform at high-end resorts even while the law prohibits it under Regulation No. R-62/2020, of the Employment Act 2/2008.
On March 5th, the immigration moved to deport 60 foreigners working in the Maldives as musicians and photographers after entering the country under various visas.
