Malaysian Immigration Department has rounded up 3,874 illegal immigrants, including 1,326 Bangladeshis, during its nationwide crackdown on illegal migrants carried out since July 1.
Besides, 84 employers were arrested by the Immigration Department during the drive, ‘Ops Mega’, Malaysian sate news agency Bernama reported on Wednesday.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the illegal immigrants, detained for various offences, were among 12,279 foreign workers screened during the period.
The arrestees comprised 1,326 Bangladeshis, Indonesians (994), Myanmarese (350), Vietnamese (178), Thais (161), Filipinos (102) and other countries (763).
“Ten employers have been charged in court for employing illegal migrants,” he told a press conference at Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian government launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants and employers after the deadline for registration of temporary Enforcement Card (E-Card), a temporary document that allows foreign workers without a valid travel document or work permit to carry on working in the country pending the approval of a permanent document or work permit, ended on June 30.
Mustafar said the Immigration Department will continue to carry out operations against illegal immigrants, as well as hunt down errant employers.
