KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 ― Previously hampered by a lack of space in its detention centres, the Immigration Department will now continue its crackdown on illegal immigrants as it now has 10,000 “vacancies” in the centres.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim explained that the government agency currently has 13 centres with a 13,000-strong capacity, noting that the empty spots were created after an earlier deportation of foreigners that were here illegally.
“Lack of space was the major constraint in our efforts to weed out illegal immigrants.
“Now that space issues have been sorted out, we are ready to continue with our operations against them (illegals),” he was quoted saying yesterday by local daily The Star.
Mustafa, when he stepped into office this Monday, had said that his department would be conducting more frequent operations to tackle its main priority of stopping the influx of illegal immigrants.
He also called on illegal immigrants in Malaysia to take up his department’s “3+1” programme ― where they will be allowed to return to their home country with only a penalty of RM300 imposed.
“All they have to do is to surrender to any of our offices and with their passports, outbound tickets and pay RM300 compound and RM100 for the special pass and they can go home,” he said in the same report today.
According to state news agency Bernama’s report, Mustafa had on Tuesday urged employers of foreigners here without valid passes to voluntarily surrender their employees under the same amnesty programme, which will end on December 31.
