Two-week target to send illegal immigrants back: Wan Junaidi

ALOR GAJAH: The Home Ministry targets two weeks from the date of detention to send illegal immigrants back to their country of origin, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (pix).
He said sending the illegal immigrants back in a quick time would cut down the costs that had to be borne by the country for the duration they were kept here as well not crowd the detention centres here.
Giving the example of the Machap Umboo Illegal Immigrants Detention Centre here which had the capacity for 800 people but now housed 1,386, Wan Junaidi also said the repatriation process could take up to two months.
"The Ministry is aware that the two-week benchmark is not easy to achieve due to some hindrances especially the documentation and legal processes, but we believe that with the cooperation from all parties, this target can be achieved.
"We have identified the obstacles that we need to overcome as quickly as possible especially as the expenses of sending them back must be borne by the immigrant's country," he told a press conference after visiting the Machap Umboo Illegal Immigrant Detention Centre here today.
Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi said the Home Ministry was working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) to upgrade the card for refugees in the country.
He said the new card would have security features to ensure it was not forged by irresponsible parties as well make it easier for the authorities to identify the refugees.
"This card would help us identify the real refugees which we must help on humanitarian grounds or the illegal immigrants who came here due to economic factors in their country who we must send back," he said.
Commenting on the public's concern over diseases which were brought into the country by the illegal immigrants, especially tuberculosis and malaria which had been previously eradicated in Malaysia, Wan Junaidi said the Home Ministry was constantly working with the Health Ministry to ensure that this is quickly contained.
"I urge the public, especially those in the food industry not to employ illegal immigrants, but to get registered foreign workers whose health status have been determined," he said. – Bernama