India engages with Maldives over visa denial

India is in talks with the Maldives over the issue of visa denial by the island nation and is hoping that at "some point" they will take an economically viable decision, sources said.

This comes in the backdrop of the reports which state that hundreds of work visas have been denied to Indians by the Maldives.

Indians who were offered work in the Maldives have been told that "political issues" are behind the visa delays, as per media reports.

According to the normal visa procedures, it takes 15 days for Indians to obtain permits to work in Maldives. However, since February this year, there has been a sharp decline in the number of work visas issued to the Indians.

On a related note, in March, Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen lifted a 45-day state of emergency he imposed on February 5 after the island nation's Supreme Court reversed criminal convictions against nine of his opponents.

India has expressed its concern over the political situation in the Maldives and has also called upon the Maldivian government to allow democratic institutions to work in a transparent manner.

--ANI