Binveriyaa: How a Housing Scheme Turned Discriminatory

When the government launched the Binveriyaa housing scheme in 2022, it was presented as a long-overdue solution to housing shortages in the Greater Malé Region. The policy immediately sparked multiple debates — about whether the state should be giving away free land at all, whether land from Malé should be treated differently from other islands, and whether the eligibility criteria were fair.

But beneath the surface of its promises, Binveriyaa revealed a serious flaw — systemic discrimination against Maldivians who had, by birth or circumstance, ever been registered outside Malé. The controversy surrounding this exclusionary design quickly became one of the most divisive political issues of the period and is widely seen as one of the key reasons President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih lost the 2023 election, as many voters viewed Binveriyaa as a symbol of inequality and unfair governance.

Background: The Origins of the “Malé Land” Argument

For years, some residents with permanent addresses in Malé have argued that since citizens of other islands receive free land from their home islands, they too deserve free land from the Malé area — including Hulhumalé, Gulhifalhu and Giraavaru Falhu. The MDP government’s Binveriyaa scheme seemed to respond to this demand by offering free land plots to Malé residents.

However, the eligibility rules went much further than most realized. Only individuals who had never held permanent residency in any other island — not even temporarily — were eligible to apply.

This meant that thousands of citizens who were born in Malé or moved here, grew up there, and lived their entire lives in the capital, were suddenly excluded from applying simply because their ID card listed another island as their “permanent address.”

The Constitutional Contradiction

The Maldives Constitution is clear about citizens’ rights to movement, residence, and equal access to state benefits:

Article 41 – Freedom of Movement and Establishment
(a) Every citizen has the freedom to enter, remain in, and leave the Maldives, and to travel within the Maldives.
(b) Every citizen has the right to move to, and take up residence on, any inhabited island of the Maldives.
(c) Every citizen shall have equal access to the receipt of rights and benefits from any island where he has established residency.

By design, Binveriyaa violated these principles. It discriminated not on the basis of residency or need, but on the historical administrative label of one’s permanent address. This is particularly striking when compared to the housing policies of other islands.

Fact-Checking the Myths

Claim 1:

“Malé people can’t apply for land from other islands. Other islands only give land to their own residents.”

Fact Check: False.
An analysis of gazette.gov.mv announcements for 2025 shows that 14 islands opened applications for free land this year. Among them, 10 islands (71%) allowed any Maldivian citizen — including those from Malé — to apply. Only 4 islands restricted applications to local residents.

Islands that has announced for free land in 2025

Claim 2:

“Islands only started allowing outsiders to apply after the Binveriyaa scheme.”

Fact Check: False.
Data from 2019, before Binveriyaa was introduced, shows that 10 islands announced land allocations that year — and all 10 allowed any Maldivian citizen to apply, regardless of permanent address.

Islands that had announced for free land in 2019

This shows that island councils were already practicing fairer, more inclusive housing policies long before Binveriyaa was conceived.

Conclusion: A Scheme That Missed Its Own Promise

While Binveriyaa was marketed as a policy for fairness and equality, it ended up being the opposite. Other islands’ housing policies — both before and after Binveriyaa — were more consistent with the Constitution, allowing all Maldivians to apply regardless of birthplace or registration.

Many islands do give additional points or priority to applicants who are currently living or working on that island — a reasonable approach that rewards local contribution without denying others the right to apply.

By contrast, Binveriyaa completely excluded anyone who ever had a permanent address outside Malé, even if they had spent their entire lives in the city. This made it discriminatory and unconstitutional, denying citizens both opportunity and equality in the nation’s housing landscape.

A truly fair housing policy must balance priority with inclusivity — rewarding residents while still respecting every Maldivian’s constitutional right to apply and establish a home anywhere in the country and not penalize citizens based on where their ID card says they are from.