Filipino illegal immigrants boarding a ferry during their deportation from the Sandakan port to Zamboanga City in southern Philippines.
KOTA KINABALU: A total of 623 undocumented migrants have been deported to Zamboanga City in the Philippines from Sandakan.
Sabah Immigration Department director Datuk Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff said they comprised 483 men, 80 women, and 60 children including babies, ranging in age from 11 months to 79 years.
They were transferred to the port from the Papar and Sandakan immigration depot, she added.
She said all those deported had committed offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, including entering the country without a valid pass or staying beyond the allowed period.
“They served out their detention and were allowed to return home after completing the repatriation documentation," she added.
They have also been blacklisted and will not be allowed to re-enter Malaysia, she said in a statement on Friday (April 25).
Sitti Saleha said the transfer process was enabled by the close cooperation of the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which helped issue valid travel documents to the detainees.
“This year to date, 3,993 Filipinos have been successfully repatriated from Sabah, bringing the total number of foreign citizens deported to 4,834.
“Sabah Immigration will not compromise with any individual or party who abuses immigration facilities, including employers and premises owners who employ foreign workers without valid documents.
“Strict action, including prosecution, will be taken against any party who violates the law," she added.
Sitti Saleha also urged all quarters, especially employers, to ensure that foreign worker recruitment is carried out through legal channels and to ensure that foreigners enter the state according to protocol.
She said the department would conduct enforcement operations in the state from time to time.
