I BELIEVE Malaysia has had a serious immigration problem for a long time. Anyone who observes what is happening on the ground would recognise that the presence of undocumented migrants is not a recent phenomenon. Despite repeated enforcement operations, arrests, deportations, and regularisation programmes, the problem persists.
According to figures announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Oct 3, the Immigration Department arrested 37,313 undocumented migrants in 10,374 operations between Jan 1 and Sept 29, 2026. During the same period, 1,809 employers were arrested for immigration-related offences.
In 2025, more than 51,000 foreigners were arrested for immigration offences, while over 130,000 undocumented migrants registered for voluntary repatriation.
These figures are significant. However, I do not think the success of our immigration policies should be measured merely by arrests or deportations. We should also ask why the problem persists despite continuous enforcement.
Every sovereign country has the right and responsibility to regulate entry into its territory. Immigration laws are necessary for national security, economic planning, labour regulation, public administration and social stability.
An uncontrolled, undocumented workforce can create unfair competition for businesses complying with employment laws, contribute to wage suppression, and complicate planning for housing, healthcare, sanitation, and other public services.
These are legitimate concerns that should not be dismissed.
However, we must not assume that every foreigner is an undocumented migrant or that undocumented migrants are necessarily involved in criminal activities. Indeed, the Immigration director- general cautioned in May that large gatherings of foreigners should not automatically be taken as evidence of illegal immigration since many possess valid documentation.
What concerns me equally is the human suffering behind the immigration statistics.
Many migrants come to Malaysia hoping to escape poverty, unemployment, conflict, or persecution. Some borrow substantial amounts to pay recruitment agents, believing legitimate employment awaits them.
In June, Reuters reported the plight of Bangladeshi workers who incurred significant debts to obtain employment in Malaysia, with some discovering that the promised jobs did not exist.
We should ask ourselves what happens to such people.
A person who has borrowed heavily, travelled abroad and subsequently finds himself without lawful employment or documentation becomes extremely vulnerable. He may fear approaching the authorities even when his wages are withheld or he is exploited.
His desperation becomes an opportunity for unscrupulous employers, agents and intermediaries to profit.
I find it troubling that undocumented migrants are sometimes discussed as though they alone are responsible for the problem. Surely, we must also examine those who recruit them, employ them unlawfully, exploit their labour or facilitate their continued presence.
The enforcement statistics themselves reveal employer involvement. Reports of suspected syndicates abusing foreign worker quotas further demonstrate that undocumented immigration cannot be understood merely as individuals crossing borders or overstaying permits.
There is an economic system surrounding foreign labour. If that system rewards exploitation, we should not be surprised when the problem persists.
We must also distinguish economic migrants from refugees and asylum seekers.
According to UNHCR, approximately 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers were registered in Malaysia at the end of February 2026, including nearly 65,000 children.
Many fled persecution or conflict. Their circumstances cannot simply be equated with those seeking better employment opportunities. We should not ignore the dangers some may face if returned to their countries of origin.
To me, the fundamental question is how Malaysia can protect its national interests without losing sight of our responsibilities towards fellow human beings.
We need stronger border management, transparent recruitment procedures, effective monitoring of employers and agencies, and firm action against those profiting from unlawful immigration arrangements.
We also need reliable information about the actual scale and nature of undocumented migration. Public policy should be based on evidence rather than suspicion, fear or generalisations about nationalities.
Exploited migrant workers should have meaningful avenues to report abuse without automatically being treated as offenders before their complaints are investigated.
There is also a larger economic question deserving examination. To what extent has Malaysia’s dependence on relatively inexpensive foreign labour contributed to this problem?
If businesses continue demanding such labour while recruitment systems remain vulnerable to manipulation, repeated immigration raids may address the symptoms without resolving the causes.
I do not believe compassion means allowing anyone to enter or remain in Malaysia without regard to our laws. Neither do I believe enforcing those laws requires indifference to human suffering.
Indeed, one reason we should insist on an orderly, properly regulated immigration system is precisely to prevent vulnerable people from being deceived, trafficked, exploited or abandoned.
It is not about refusing to help human beings experiencing difficulties in their own countries. It is also about ensuring that their desperation does not become an opportunity for others to oppress them in ours.
Ultimately, I believe our immigration policies should be judged not only by how effectively they protect our borders and national interests, but also by how fairly they treat the human beings affected. We should never be unkind.
A mature and compassionate society should be capable of doing both.
Senior lawyer Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos is the founder and chairman of Yayasan Rapera, an NGO that promotes community-based learning activities and compassionate thinking among Malaysians. The views expressed here are entirely his own.
