PUTRAJAYA – A total of 5,983 undocumented migrants have been registered in the Migrant Repatriation Programme within seven days of its implementation on March 1.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that out of the total, 1,864 individuals had already returned to their respective countries of origin.
“The highest number of illegal immigrants are from Indonesia (3,115), followed by Bangladesh with 846 people, India with 700 people, Pakistan with 610 people and Sri Lanka with 279 people.
“Apart from that, an additional 196 people are from Nepal, and the remaining 237 immigrants came from Myanmar, the Philippines, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam and China,” he said during a press conference here today.
The Migrant Repatriation Programme, which commenced on March 1, will facilitate undocumented migrants being sent home on condition that they have valid travel documents and a one-way ticket home after they have settled compounds for various immigration offences, including overstaying and entering Malaysia without valid travel documents.
They are required to pay a compound ranging from RM300 to RM500, depending on the type of offence they have committed, Saifuddin said, adding that the government had collected a total of RM2,899,900 through this move.
Asked whether undocumented migrants who have returned to their country of origin under the programme will be blacklisted from entering Malaysia, he said that the ministry would have to assess the nature of the offences committed.
“While they are in Malaysia, what transgressions have they engaged in? There are some misconducts that warrant inclusion in the blacklist, and that is the next step in the process,” he explained.
The Migrant Repatriation Programme will continue until December 31 this year, aimed at decreasing the number of undocumented migrants in the country. – March 8, 2024