SANDAKAN, May 9 — The Immigration Department deported 226 Filipino undocumented migrants by sea, using the vessel MV Antonia 1 from Sandakan Port to Zamboanga, Philippines, yesterday.
Sabah Immigration Department director, Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yusof said the group sent back consisted of 153 men, 56 women, and 17 children, ranging in age from two to 73 years.
“All these immigrants were previously detained for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963,” she said in a statement here today.
She said that this year, a total of 2,013 Filipino undocumented migrants were deported via sea and air transportation.
Sh Sitti Saleha added that the deportation of these detained immigrants were carried out after they underwent enforcement and legal processes in the country. — Bernama