KOTA KINABALU: A total of 180 Filipinos were deported to their country of origin by the Immigration Department on Friday (Dec 27).
The deportees, comprising 79 men, 38 women and 63 children, were sent home by sea after boarding the ferry MV Ming Hai Express bound for Bongao in the Philippines.
Sabah Immigration director Datuk Sharifah Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the deportees had finished serving their sentences at the Sandakan immigration depot.
She said the detainees had taken buses from Sandakan to go to the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex in Lahad Datu to be deported.
She said the deportees were aged between one and 80, adding the children were either with their parents or guardians.
“All the detainees returned home at their own costs,” she said in a statement.
Sitti Saleha said the ferry ticket for foreign detainees included costs for the bus transportation from Sandakan to Lahad Datu.
She added that adult detainees paid RM375 per person while children aged between five and 13 were charged RM215 and free for children aged four and below.
“Those who were deported had entered the country without a valid pass or permit besides being found to have overstayed.
“They have served their prison sentences and were provided the deportation process after their complete travel documents were obtained.
“So far this year, a total of 6,185 undocumented Filipinos have been deported to their country of origin through sea, making the total of foreigners sent home to 8,842 people,” said Sitti Saleha.
She said all undocumented migrants will be blacklisted in the Immigration Department’s system according to their offences.
The frequency of the deportation exercises depended on the speed and ongoing issuance of travel documents by the Philippine Embassy, which is a crucial element to expedite the repatriation process, she added.
“The deportation exercise is part of the department’s ongoing operation on detainees at all immigration depots in Sabah to avoid prolonged detention of foreigners in the country,” she said.
Sitti Saleha warned that they will not compromise with any foreign nationals who abuse their passes as well as other facilities provided to them.
She said employers or business owners who hire foreigners without travel passes or work permits also face being charged in the court of law.
“We advise employers to hire foreign nationals using the proper channels and in accordance with the law.
“We will intensify enforcement operations from time to time to weed out illegal immigrants,” she said.
