KOTA KINABALU: A seven-month-old baby was among 180 undocumented migrants deported to the Philippines by the Sabah Immigration Department on Friday (Dec 20).
Department director Datuk Sharifah Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the group comprised 131 adults, 67 women and 64 men, along with 23 boys and 26 girls, with the oldest detainee aged 67.
“The children involved in the deportation exercise returned with their parents or legal guardians,” she explained.
The repatriation was conducted from the Sandakan and Tawau Immigration depots via the Lahad Datu Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) station to Bongao Port in the Philippines, using the MV Ming Hai Express ferry.
The detainees covered the cost of their return.
“These individuals committed offences under Sections 15(1)(c) and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) and the Immigration Regulations 1963, for entering the country without valid passes or permits and overstaying. They were deported after serving their prison sentences and completing the necessary travel documentation,” she said.
To date, 5,993 Filipino detainees have been deported by sea in 2024, bringing the total number of foreign nationals repatriated this year to 8,650.
“All undocumented migrants will be blacklisted in the Malaysian Immigration Department system based on their offences,” she added.
Sharifah Sitti Saleha noted that the frequency of these deportation exercises depends on the issuance of travel documents by the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Malaysia.
“This operation is part of the continuous efforts by the Sabah Immigration Department to manage detainees held in the state’s immigration depots. We will not compromise with any foreign nationals who misuse their passes and facilities.”
She warned that legal action would be taken against employers and premise owners who hire undocumented foreign nationals, as well as individuals who violate pass or permit conditions under Act 155 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
The department also urged employers and the public to hire foreign nationals through legal channels.
“Enforcement operations to combat undocumented immigrants (PATI) will be intensified,” she said.
