DHAKA: More than 500 migrants including Bangladeshis were detained in a latest crackdown by the Malaysian government against undocumented immigrants. 

Malaysia started the crackdown on Saturday (September 1) after a government deadline for illegal immigrant workers to go back to their native countries expired on Thursday, reports Malaysian daily The Star.

Among the detained undocumented immigrants, there are citizen from Myanmar, Pakistan, Cambodia, China, Vietnam, India and Nepal besides Bangladesh.

The number of detained Bangladeshi migrant workers has not been confirmed yet.

However, before the crackdown, the government had allowed the illegal workers to return home by paying a fine worth Tk 8,000 under an amnesty programme.

Director General of Malaysia Immigration Department Mustafa Ali held a press briefing on Sunday. He said, “We have kept our words to allow workers amnesty but the detention came after the deadline.”

The immigrant police have conducted 9,500 raids against undocumented migrants January to August this year. Some 29,117 illegal migrants were detained in the drives,” he added. 

According to sources, some 10 lakh Bangladeshi workers are currently staying in Malaysia and nearly half of them are undocumented. 

BDST: 1455 HRS, SEP 2, 2018
AP/SMS