PETALING JAYA: The reported arrest of 171 Bangladeshi workers in Johor while marching to a police station to make a report is a breach of anti-trafficking laws, says Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).
"Despite acknowledgement by the police that the migrants entered the country legally and were trying to lodge a police report, it was these migrants who were arrested to be investigated, allegedly for overstaying," LFL director Zaid Malek said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec 27).
Zaid said it was clear from the facts that the migrants had been duped and left stranded in Malaysia without the jobs they were promised.
If they overstayed, it was because of the unscrupulous agents who intended to exploit them, he added.
"This would mean that they are (categorised as) victims (under the) Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Atipsom).
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"As they are victims of trafficking, the migrants cannot be detained in Immigration depots or charged for offences.
"In fact they should have already been brought to a magistrate within 24 hours of their arrest to be given an interim protection order and placed instead in a designated place of refuge in accordance with Section 44 of Atipsom," he said.
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"We urge the government to ensure the immediate release of the 171 Bangladeshis from detention and suspend any investigation for overstaying under the Immigration Act," he said.
