Disputes - international:
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 1,000-10,000 (December 2004 tsunami victims) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: The Maldives is primarily a destination country for migrant workers from Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, India, some of whom are subjected to forced labor primarily in the construction and service sectors; some women and girls also are subjected to sex trafficking; some underage Maldivian children are transported to Male from other islands for forced domestic service, and a small number were reportedly sexually abused
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the government has not demonstrated increased efforts to address human trafficking and lacks systematic procedures for identifying victims of trafficking among vulnerable populations, and it did not investigate or prosecute trafficking-related offenses or take concrete actions to protect trafficking victims and prevent trafficking; counter-trafficking efforts are impeded by the lack of understanding of the issue, a legal structure, and a legal definition of trafficking (2011)