53 Nigerians were among 112 undocumented African nationals arrested by Malaysian immigration authorities during enforcement operations between January and October 31, a report by Malaysian newspaper Utusan Malaysia has said.
Among the African nationals detained during that period, the Nigerians made up the largest share of arrests, followed by Uganda with 13, Kenya with 10, and Ghana with eight.
Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, the Director-General of Malaysia’s Immigration Department, revealed these figures in an interview with Utusan Malaysia published on Friday, and added that the arrests took place during enforcement operations throughout the country.
According to the report, “Nigerian nationals accounted for the highest number of arrests with 53 individuals, followed by those from Uganda (13), Kenya (10), and Ghana (8). Somalia (6), Tanzania (6), Senegal (4), Algeria (3), Burkina Faso (2), Togo (2), and The Gambia (2), as well as one individual each from Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Libya.
Shaaban stated that the most frequent offense was entering or staying in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit, as stipulated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
According to him, 85 individuals were detained for this offense, 47 of whom were Nigerians.
“The primary offense recorded is entering and remaining in the country without a valid pass or permit, under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63; this resulted in 85 arrests, 47 of which involved Nigerian nationals,” he said.
The immigration chief also stated that 23 individuals were detained for overstaying their permitted period under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act.
He noted that three others were arrested for breaching the conditions of their immigration passes under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
A Nigerian national was also arrested for allegedly possessing forged documents under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act.
Besides the foreign nationals, the authorities arrested an Algerian employer under Section 55B of the Act for allegedly hiring foreign workers without valid passes.
Shaaban stated that the enforcement operations demonstrated the authorities’ commitment to addressing undocumented migration and taking action against employers who hired or housed foreign nationals without proper immigration documents.
“These ongoing enforcement operations reflect the authorities’ steadfast commitment to curbing the presence of undocumented migrants and taking firm action against any employers who harbor or employ them,” he said.
The report did not reveal who the arrested Nigerians were or state where they were taken into custody.
