KOTA KINABALU: Some 417 Filipinos were deported to their home country on Wednesday under series 9 of the deportation programme for illegal immigrants, according to the Sabah Immigration Department.
Its director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the group involved was from the Sandakan Immigration depot, where they left via sea route through Sandakan Port and headed for Zamboanga City Port in the Philippines.
“All detainees deported have committed various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963.
“The age range involved in this particular deportation is between one month to 66 years old.
“There were 349 men, 41 women, three minors under 12 years old and 24 minors aged 23 months and under.
“The minors involved in the deportation were accompanied by their parents or guardians, where the group left via MV Antonia 1 vessel,” she said in a statement here on Wednesday (May 29).
She added that the latest programme brought the number to a total of 2,437 Filipinos deported in 2024 so far, via sea and air routes.
“The frequency of this programme is also based on the strategic cooperation with the Philippines Embassy in expediting the documentation process for the detainees, followed by the issuance of the travel document for them to allow the detainees to be deported to their home country,” she added.
