More than 1,000 foreigners detained in two-day immigration crackdown
KAJANG: The Immigration Department detained 1,043 foreigners for various immigration offences during a two-day nationwide enforcement operation targeting residential areas and foreigner hotspots.
The Immigration Department in Malaysia conducted a two-day nationwide crackdown on immigration, detaining a total of 1,043 foreigners. On August 10 and 11, 3,307 people were inspected across the country. The majority of the detainees were men, with 880 individuals and 163 women aged between 17 and 59. Bangladeshis constituted the largest group of detainees, with 460 people, followed by Indonesians (328), Myanmar nationals (186), Indians (55), and Nepalese (22).
The operation focused on residential areas and hotspot locations identified through public complaints, department information, and intelligence gathering. Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban attributed the intensified enforcement to concerns from Malaysians about the uncontrolled presence of foreigners in certain regions.
The department conducts more than five operations daily nationwide and plans to continue until the issue of undocumented immigrants is addressed. Some detained individuals held UNHCR cards, which required verification to ensure authenticity. The operation resulted in the issuance of 45 witness summonses to Malaysians and investigations against property owners harboring undocumented foreigners.
Zakaria emphasized that illegal re-entry attempts would not be permitted, but undocumented foreigners were encouraged to utilize the Migrant Repatriation Programme to surrender and return home voluntarily.
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