Controller General Mohamed Ahmed Hussain inaugurated the “En Route Clearance” service on Friday, in a special ceremony held onboard MS Costa Victoria, the first cruise ship granted en route clearance.

Speaking at the Ceremony, the Controller General highlighted on the journey to achieve this milestone, as such the dedication and patience of the Immigration Officers who worked tirelessly for approximately fifteen long years to accomplish this target. He impressed upon the officers to take this as a lesson, in working to reach further heights in the service of immigration.

The Captain of MS Costa Victoria cruise ship also addressed in the ceremony. He praised the officers for the timely cooperation of them in the immigration clearance process.

In this special ceremony, Assistant Immigration Officer Ahmed Visam and Assistant Immigration Officer Maaz Abdulla was awarded Certificate of Recognition for their historic trip to Kochi, India, to grant the first en route clearance.

“En Route Clearance” is the process of granting immigration clearance during the course of the journey to Maldives. As such, the Immigration Officers will get onboard to the vessel from the port of embarkation to Maldives. This service will be officially commenced 1^st of January 2020, and the service will be available for cruise vessels with a minimum of 200 passengers.

The “En Route Clearance” will serve towards service efficiency and enhance border security.