More than 23,000 detainees held in immigration depots nationwide, exceeding capacity – Saifuddin

PUTRAJAYA: More than 23,000 people are being held in immigration depots nationwide, exceeding their combined capacity of 20,000, as the government continues efforts to repatriate a second group of Myanmar nationals amid an ongoing legal challenge.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said the overcrowding had raised concerns about detainees’ health, clashes among detainees and rising operational costs.

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“Our depots have a capacity of 20,000, but the number has now exceeded 23,000.

“When depots exceed their capacity, new problems arise, including health issues, fights among detainees and rising expenses. We have to manage all of this,” he said at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

Saifuddin said immigration authorities continued to conduct enforcement operations, while the government faced mounting challenges in managing the presence of Myanmar nationals.

He said the issue had also fuelled social tensions in some communities, with residents in certain areas reportedly attacking refugees’ homes and forcing them to leave their neighbourhoods.

He stressed that such matters should be handled by the authorities, adding that the police continued to discourage people from taking the law into their own hands.

On the government’s repatriation plans, Saifuddin said the Home and Foreign Ministries would continue discussions with Myanmar authorities following the court’s rejection of an application to temporarily halt the programme.

“With the court’s decision, the Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry can continue discussions with Myanmar to proceed with the second group, unless the court decides otherwise.

“For now, the Malaysian Bar’s application for a stay has been rejected. The judicial review is scheduled for Dec 8,” he said.

Saifuddin maintained that diplomatic engagement with Myanmar was necessary to address the situation despite objections from certain quarters.

“We are the government. When there is a problem, we have to manage it.

“How can we resolve the problem if we cannot meet Myanmar’s leaders?” he said.

He added that bilateral discussions would allow both countries to exchange views and establish arrangements to guide subsequent action.

On Sept 29, Malaysia repatriated 1,476 Myanmar nationals from 14 immigration depots aboard three Myanmar naval vessels, marking the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme involving 5,000 people.

The government had previously announced that another 3,524 Myanmar nationals had been identified for the second phase, with the repatriation date pending confirmation from Myanmar authorities.

However, the programme has faced legal opposition from the Malaysian Bar, which sought a judicial review over concerns about the return of refugees and asylum seekers, including Rohingya people and children, to Myanmar.

On Oct 22, the High Court rejected the Bar’s application for an interim stay, ruling that such an order could not be granted before permission to pursue a judicial review had been determined.

The court fixed Dec 8 to hear the application for leave to commence judicial review, leaving the substantive legal challenge unresolved.

Earlier, Saifuddin disclosed in a written parliamentary reply published in July that 22,166 undocumented migrants were being held in immigration depots nationwide as of June 30, including 11,194 Myanmar nationals.