Blacklisted illegal immigrants applied for E-Card: Immigration DG

PETALING JAYA: The Biometric database has effectively identified blacklisted illegal immigrants who tried to re-enter the country and register for the temporary Enforcement Card (E-Card) said Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali.
"They infiltrate through illegal routes and tried to join the E-Card registration programme in the effort to get a valid working permit or pass.
"However, the department was able to identify all the illegal immigrants who were deported or blacklisted, through their fingerprints taken for record checking," he said in statement today.
The major operation started immediately after the deadline to apply for the temporary E-Card expired on June 30.
"We have given the employers sufficient period to register their workers, who are illegal yet some employers have failed to use this opportunity fully," Mustafar said.
He said as of 8am today, a total of 1,509 immigrants were arrested for various offences since the operations began on Saturday.
The department has conducted a total of 181 raids and checks among 5,278 foreign workers.
"A total of 28 employers were also arrested while 86 others were given notice to give statement throughout this operation," Mustafar said.
He had said there would be no compromising with employers and illegal immigrants who were found to have no documents during the operations.
The E-Card will act as a temporary validation to allow foreign workers who do not have valid documents to work here.
The card, however, will expire on Feb 15 next year and before that time the cardholder must obtain a valid travel document from the embassies of their respective countries for the purpose of obtaining a work permit or face deportation.