The Maldives has officially banned Israeli passport holders from entering the country, a move taken in solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
President Mohamed Muizzu signed the legislation into law after it was approved by parliament on Tuesday.
The President’s Office stated that the decision demonstrates the Maldives’ condemnation of Israel’s “ongoing atrocities” against the Palestinian people.
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The updated Immigration Act bars entry to all Israeli passport holders, though individuals with dual nationality may still enter if they use non-Israeli travel documents.
The measure follows a 2024 Cabinet proposal and comes amid growing public pressure within the country to adopt a more assertive position on the conflict. In 2023, over 11,000 Israelis visited the Maldives, but arrivals dropped significantly in early 2024.
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens—including dual nationals—to avoid travel to the Maldives and recommending that Israelis already there consider leaving due to “limited consular support.”
President Muizzu also revealed additional steps in support of Palestine, including the appointment of a special envoy to assess humanitarian needs in Palestinian territories and the launch of a national fundraising campaign titled “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine.”
The Maldives, home to approximately 530,000 people—more than 98% of whom are Muslim—previously lifted a ban on Israeli tourists in the 1990s. Diplomatic talks aimed at normalizing relations were briefly considered in 2010 but ultimately collapsed in 2012.
Since the adoption of the 2008 constitution, the Maldives has required all citizens—and anyone seeking citizenship—to adhere nominally to Sunni Islam.
(JNS)
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