Maldives Immigration has urged local businesses to refrain from engaging foreign nationals in performing music and photography work without obtaining necessary approvals.
In a tweet, Immigration said that it has been receiving complaints that foreign nationals are not staying within the confines of the permit granted for the conditions attached to the permit.
It said that many such complaints involve tourist resorts and other businesses utilizing foreign nationals to perform music and photography without obtaining proper visas.
Immigration noted that several cases have been investigated and legal actions have been taken on sixty foreign nations for the violation of Immigration Law.
The Authority emphasized that it is a huge concern that the livelihood of local artists in these professionals are being adversely affected such cases.
Immigration added that strict penalties would be imposed for those in violation of the Immigration Law and urged all parties to refrain from such activities that affect the future of local artists.
Local musicians and others working in the tourism sector have been struggling for the past few months with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic preventing their unhindered travel from Male' to other islands and resorts.
