NIBONG TEBAL: The newly built Jawi Immigration Depot and Quarters can accommodate 1,200 immigration detainees, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the facility, which spans 6.07ha (15 acres), costs RM77.5mil.
"It has just been completed and will house immigration detainees from Nov 26 (2024) to replace the Juru Detention Depot.
"The Public Works Department completed this depot and has now handed it over.
"It houses a detention complex, a court and quarters for immigration officers," he said after walking around the newly built Jawi Immigration Depot and Quarters here on Sunday (Nov 10).
Saifuddin said the plan was to relocate the detainees at the Juru Detention Depot to this depot.
"There are currently 233 men and 133 women detainees at the Juru Immigration Depot, all foreigners. The capacity at the Juru depot is 500.
"Those detained at the depot are there for offences against the Immigration Act, including misuse of visas, entering without documents, and overstaying," he said.
He said that the 118 immigration staff would be relocated to this depot.
"Construction of the depot began in May 2019. It should have been completed in May 2022, but it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
Saifuddin said immigration detention depots in this country are temporary, as people go in and out, so there is no overcrowding.
"We are still below the set capacity of 20,000 people in all depots nationwide. There are currently some 14,000 detainees," he said.
