Special Correspondent :
The Malaysian Immigration Department on Saturday began a massive nationwide crackdown against the illegal immigrants after the expiry of the 3+1 amnesty programme, sending thousands of undocumented foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, into the risk of arrest and deportation from the country.
Between January 1 and August 29 this year, the Department arrested 6,000 Bangladeshis during raids against the undocumented migrants.
According to the Malaysian Immigration Department, the 3+1 amnesty programme, which enables illegal immigrants to pay a RM300 as fine and RM100 for a special pass that allows them to return to their respective countries, ends on Friday.
More than 5,000 foreigners have been checked nationwide since the end of the 3+1 amnesty programme resulting in the arrest of over 500 illegal immigrants, reports Malaysian newspapers. “We are fulfilling our pledge that we will go all out to nab illegal immigrants after the expiry of the amnesty programme. There will no extension to the deadline,” Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, Department Director of Malaysian Immigration Department told reporters after a raid at a glove making factory in Sepang on Saturday.
He said that the operation started at the midnight of August 31 and we have deployed all our enforcement personnel nationwide to ensure the success of the operation
“We have given ample chances to illegal immigrants to come forward, through the rehiring and the amnesty programmes. The whitening effort has ended and now it’s all out enforcement,” he said.
Mustafar Ali said that operations against illegal immigrants were an ongoing process and it would continue until the country is totally freed from illegal immigrants.
“The large-scale operation will also give focus on busting human trafficking syndicates,” he added.
Between January 1 and August 29 this year, the Malaysian Immigration Department conducted 9,449 enforcement operations and checked 116,270 foreigners, resulting in 29,040 illegals nabbed and 879 employers detained.
Among the highest arrests were those from Indonesia with 9,759, followed by Bangladesh 5,959, the Philippines 2,820 and Myanmar 2,715.
Currently, about eight lakh Bangladeshis are working in Malaysia.
Of them, an estimated three lakh are undocumented while another one lakh would face cancellation of their work permits, as the new Malaysian Government decided to cancel work permits of the migrants employed for more than 10 years, according to migrant right groups.
Of the three lakh undocumented Bangladeshi migrants, some two lakh have applied for the rehiring programme. But there is no guarantee that the Malaysian authorities would grant them fresh work permits or they would be legalized, according to the officials of the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.
They said that the undocumented Bangladeshi workers would be deported if the Malaysian government does not shift its stance on the issue.
Mustafar Ali said that illegal workers had been given the opportunity to stay on through the rehiring programme. “Of the 744,000 foreign registered workers, 450,000 only met the necessary requirements,” he said.
Mustafar Ali said, the previous government allowed for an extension of three years for foreign workers who had 10 years experience but were no longer permitted.
“Our efforts will be successful if we can free the country from illegal immigrants,” he said.
