A total of 255 Bangladeshi workers were detained on the first day of a nationwide crackdown to nab illegal foreign nationals in Malaysia yesterday, reported the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama.
It said the illegal immigrants detained under the second phase of the 6P Integrated Operation would be enlisted in the biometric database system to ban their re-entry to Malaysia.
Malaysian Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said all illegal foreign nationals held in the nationwide crackdown which began late last night would be deported to their countries of origin within seven days.
“Their repatriation will not be borne by the Malaysian government, but by their employers or the respective foreign embassies,” he told reporters at the Police Training Centre yesterday.
He said among the 1,565 illegal immigrants held in 107 operations nationwide, 695 are Indonesians, 255 Bangladeshis, 157 Myanmarese and the rest are from Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, China, Nigeria and Thailand.
Hamidi said the illegal immigrants who had no valid travel documents or work permits, were detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963 and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
The operation carried out by relevant law enforcement agencies would continue until the year's end to detect, detain, charge and deport foreign illegals, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday that the government had nothing to do with those who failed to acheive legal status.
He asked the undocumented Bangladeshi workers to return home to avoid harassment and punishment.
According to the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia, around 5,00,000 Bangladeshis are currently working in Malaysia.
The Malaysian minister said the operation involved 2,015 personnel from various agencies, including the Immigration Department, Rela, police, Civil Defence Department, National Registration Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
