SANDAKAN: The State Immigration Department repatriated 670 undocumented Filipino immigrants to their country on Thursday.
The exercise involved detainees from the Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan immigration depots. State Immigration Director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the deportees, aged between one and 79, included adult men and women, as well as children.
“Acting on humanitarian grounds and in respect of human rights, we collaborated with the Philippine Embassy to prepare travel documents for 536 adult men, 89 adult women, 21 boys and 24 girls for repatriation to Zamboanga City, Philippines,” she said in a statement.
To date, she said a total of 3,370 Filipino nationals have been repatriated through entry points in Sabah, bringing the total number of foreign detainees relocated to 4,198.
According to SH Sitti, all those repatriated were believed to have violated Sections 15(1)(c) and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155), as well as the Immigration Regulations 1963, for entering the country without valid documents and overstaying their permitted duration.
“The detainees had served prison sentences and were processed for repatriation once their travel documents were completed. “They will also be blacklisted in the department’s system based on their respective offenses,” she said.
Sitti said the department will not compromise with any foreign nationals found abusing the immigration passes and facilities.
“Strict action will be taken against employers and premises owners who hire undocumented foreign workers, including individuals who violate the terms of their passes and permits under the Immigration Act 1959/63,” she said.
She also urged employers and the public to use legal channels when hiring foreign workers, in accordance with existing laws.
