SANDAKAN: A three-day-old baby was among 750 Filipino nationals, including 197 children, repatriated from Sabah to the Philippines in the latest deportation exercise carried out by the state Immigration Department.
The group, comprising 378 adult men, 175 adult women, 98 boys and 99 girls, was transported from Sandakan Port to Zamboanga City aboard the MV Antonia 1 on Thursday (Nov 12).
In a statement, the Sabah Immigration Department said the detainees, aged between three days and 71 years, were transferred from the Sandakan and Papar Immigration depots as part of its fourth sea repatriation exercise for 2026.
All children were accompanied by their parents or designated guardians.
In a separate operation a day earlier, an adult Singaporean man detained at the Papar Immigration Depot was also repatriated to his home country.
The department said the man was flown from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Singapore's Changi Airport aboard a Scoot Airlines flight on Wednesday (Nov 11).
As of Thursday, Sabah had repatriated 9,224 immigration detainees of various nationalities to their respective countries of origin.
Filipino nationals accounted for the largest group at 6,915, followed by Indonesians (1,959), Pakistanis (143), Chinese nationals (142), Vietnamese (29) and 36 others, including Singaporeans.
The department said all those repatriated had completed their sentences under the relevant laws and possessed valid travel documents or emergency certificates to facilitate their return.
It also urged the Philippine Embassy to expedite the issuance of travel documents to enable faster repatriation and help ease overcrowding at immigration detention depots across Sabah.
Meanwhile, employers were encouraged to participate in the Sabah government's ongoing digital registration programme for foreign workers, particularly those in the plantation sector.
The initiative is aimed at improving the monitoring and documentation of foreign workers while addressing the problem of undocumented migrants in the state.
The department also warned that stern action would be taken against employers found harbouring or employing foreign workers without valid permits or documents.
Offenders could face severe penalties under the Immigration Act 1959/63, including fines of RM50,000, imprisonment and whipping for offences involving the harbouring or protection of undocumented migrants.
