In a recent development, the Maldives, an island nation famous for its paradise beauty, has made a remarkable move in its immigration policy. The Maldives government has just officially passed a new law, prohibiting entry for all visitors with Israeli passports, a move that is believed to express deep indignation at the tense developments and ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
According to an official announcement from the Office of the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu signed into law the amended immigration law, which includes a key provision that bans entry from April 15 (local time) for Israeli citizens holding passports issued by the state. The statement from the Office of the President stressed that the approval of this new law "reflects the Government of Maldives' firm stance in response to the ongoing atrocities and genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Israel."
The Maldives President's Office has approved an amendment to the country's immigration law that bans Israeli passport holders from entering the South Asian nation.
Notably, according to research, the decision to ban Israeli citizens from entering the Maldives was made by the country's cabinet nearly a year ago. However, it was not until this week that the Maldives government officially made this decision by promulgating an amended immigration law.
In response to this move, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, since June last year, has advised its citizens, as well as dual nationals, not to travel to the Maldives. At the same time, the Israeli Foreign Ministry also recommended that Israeli citizens currently in the Maldives consider leaving the island nation for their own safety.
The ratification reflects the government's resolute stance in response to the atrocities and genocide that Israel is committing against the Palestinian people.
Statistics from the Maldivian government show a significant decline in the number of Israeli tourists to the island nation. In the first four months of 2024, only about 528 Israeli citizens visited the Maldives, a much lower number than the 4,644 visitors in the same period in 2023. In total, nearly 11,000 Israelis visited the archipelago in 2023, accounting for about 0.6% of the total tourist arrivals in the Maldives.
The news of the entry ban on Israeli tourists was announced by the Maldives in a sensitive context, reminiscent of the large protests that took place in Tel Aviv in March last year, when tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and demanding the immediate release of hostages.
The ban takes effect immediately. Israel has not commented.
Maldives, a small country located in the southern Indian Ocean, consists of nearly 1,200 large and small coral islands, of which only about 200 are inhabited. Despite being the smallest country in Asia and among the top 10 smallest countries in the world, Maldives has risen to become a globally famous "tourist paradise", attracting about 1.7 million tourists each year. The strong development of the tourism industry has brought about a miraculous transformation for Maldives, from a small, isolated and economically underdeveloped island nation to one of the 26 most attractive sea destinations in the world, with tourism revenue accounting for more than 30% of the country's GDP in recent years. The decision to ban entry for Israeli tourists may have certain impacts on the Maldives' tourism industry in the future.
