KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Immigration Department Director-General Khairul Dzaimee Daud said today that the two undocumented Filipino babies currently detained at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Centre will be released and deported back to their home country tomorrow.
“The babies will be released and deported to their country by tomorrow, July 3, 2019,” he said in a short reply to Malay Mail, when contacted.
Khairul also insisted that basic facilities are also provided for children who are detained at the centre, and shared several photos of children playing in the nursery room at the centre.
Earlier today, Tenaganita alleged that the Immigration Department has continued to detain two Filipino babies not even two years old, at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Centre despite repeated intervention from Putrajaya.
In a statement, Tenaganita executive director Glorene Dass said that the mothers of the two babies are distraught as they have been given no access to see their children for 20 days.
She said the babies were detained during an immigration raid at Plaza Indah Apartment Kajang on the night of June 13, 2019.
She added that the children’s mothers were informed by the Immigration Department that their babies can be sent back to Philippines together with them, should they not have travel documents issued by the Philippines Embassy.
Glorene said that the investigation officer from the Investigation and Enforcement Unit of the Immigration Department had informed that the deportation order and other necessary documents had already been prepared and sent to Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Centre on June 27.
However, she lamented that as of 3pm today, officers at the detention centre claimed to have no knowledge of such a deportation order.
She urged the authorities to expedite the release of the babies to their mothers or any shelters which are equipped to care for the children, until the Immigration Department provides the necessary documents for the children’s deportation.
