Latest news with #PATI
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Government holds 17,896 immigration detainees as of July 6, says Saifuddin
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 17,896 illegal immigrants (PATI) are held across immigration detention centres as of July 6, 2025, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The Home Minister said the detainees are housed in 20 facilities operated by the Immigration Department, including 18 permanent depots and two temporary depots. He added that there are six child detention centres, known as Baitul Mahabbah, for foreign minors. 'The total capacity of Immigration Department detention centres is 21,530 individuals,' he said in a written reply to Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH–Bukit Bendera). 'At any time, the number detained across all depots ranges between 16,000 and 18,000, depending on arrests and deportations,' he said. Syerleena had asked for the number of detention centres, detainee counts at each, and whether any hold UNHCR status. Of the current total, 78% or 13,992 detainees are men, while 22% or 3,974 are women, said the minister. Four nationalities account for 90.7% of all PATI detainees, led by Myanmar with 7,453 individuals. They are followed by Indonesia with 3,817 and Bangladesh with 1,136, he said. 'The average detention period ranges from 0 to 3 years. It is noted that none of the detainees as of July 6, 2025 are UNHCR cardholders,' he said. 'However, a total of 4,719 detainees are of Rohingya ethnicity from Myanmar,' added Saifuddin.
Daily Express
02-08-2025
- Daily Express
940 ops against the illegals
Published on: Saturday, August 02, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 02, 2025 By: Marutin Ansiung Text Size: Among the 141 illegal immigrants detained in Keningau. KENINGAU: Sabah Immigration carried out 940 enforcement operations across the State between January and July 28 to curb the entry and settlement of illegal immigrants. Its Director, Datuk Sharifah Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff, said the operations, conducted in collaboration with various enforcement agencies, saw 17,410 people being screened from the Philippines, Indonesia, and other nationalities residing and working in Sabah. 'Of that number, 3,536 individuals were arrested for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, including failure to produce valid documents, misuse of visit passes and overstaying their permitted duration,' she said. Sharifah stressed they would continue to carry out daily enforcement under its principle of 'no day without enforcement'. She said action was taken against 85 employers for hiring or harbouring foreigners without valid work permits — a serious offence under national laws. Firm action against employers remains one of the department's main focuses to deter the practice of employing PATI, which affects job opportunities for locals. Meanwhile, 141 illegal immigrants were detained in a separate enforcement operation carried out in and around Keningau district early Tuesday. The operation which began at around 12.30am ended at 4am, involved raids on two squatter areas — Balilingi and Bulu Silou — which were suspected of housing foreigners for a long time. 'A total of 216 individuals were screened during the integrated operation, involving 84 personnel, including officers from the Keningau, Tenom, Ranau, Sipitang, and Kota Kinabalu Immigration offices, supported by RELA members from Keningau District. 'Of those detained, 44 were adult women, 26 adult men, while the rest were male and female children. 'In total, 78 detainees were Filipinos and 63 were Indonesians, arrested for various immigration offences,' she said. Among the offences identified were the lack of valid identification documents under Section 6(1)(c) and overstaying under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. During the raids, there were attempts by some individuals to flee, but the situation was brought under control without any untoward incidents. All detainees are currently being held at the Papar Detention Depot for further action. The department assured that such operations will continue from time to time to ensure public safety, the rule of law and state security. In a related development, Sharifah hopes the issuance of temporary travel documents by the respective embassies for detained foreigners can be expedited. She said this involves the issuance of the SPLP (Surat Perjalanan Laksana Pasport) for Indonesian nationals and the Travel Document for Filipino citizens, which are essential for repatriation. She said many have been held in detention for three to four months waiting for these documents. 'If the embassies or consulates issue these documents, the detainees can be quickly repatriated to Indonesia and the Philippines,' she said. Sharifah noted that delays in identity verification and document issuance have led to overcrowding at the Temporary Detention Depot, placing pressure on its capacity and management. As of July 28, JIM Sabah carried out 100 deportation sessions involving the repatriation of 6,329 individuals by air and sea. 'We remain committed to enforcement efforts and will continue to work closely with all relevant agencies to safeguard national security and sovereignty,' she said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
16-07-2025
- The Sun
Illegal online gambling den raided in Serdang, 496 undocumented migrants detained
SERDANG: A joint operation led by the Immigration Department, Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), and the General Operations Force uncovered an illegal online gambling den operating from three units of a four-storey apartment in Pusat Bandar Putra Permai. The raid, conducted late last night, found the premises abandoned, with only equipment such as tablets, monitors, and furniture left behind. Immigration deputy director-general of operations Jafri Embok Taha confirmed that the units were registered under local individuals based on utility bills. 'The suspects had fled before the raid. The case has been handed over to MBSJ for further action,' he said. The setup included CCTV cameras to monitor movements, targeting undocumented migrants (PATI) as customers. During the operation, 741 foreigners were inspected, with 496 detained for various immigration offences. They were taken to the Semenyih Immigration Detention Centre. 'Violations include breaches of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007,' Jafri added. He also highlighted the ongoing Migrant Repatriation Programme (PRM) 2.0, allowing undocumented migrants to return home by paying RM520 (RM500 compound + RM20 special pass fee). The programme runs until April 2026, with four PRM centres in Selangor. - Bernama
Barnama
16-07-2025
- Barnama
Online Gambling Den Busted In Serdang Apartment Raid, 496 Illegal Immigrants Detained
SERDANG, July 16 (Bernama) -- The authorities have uncovered an illegal online gambling hub operating from three units of a four-storey apartment block in Pusat Bandar Putra Permai here. The gambling centre was busted during a joint raid conducted by the Immigration Department, Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) and the General Operations Force last night. Immigration deputy director-general of operations Jafri Embok Taha said preliminary investigations revealed that the three units were registered under the names of three local individuals, based on utility bill records obtained. 'When officers arrived at the residential units, the premises were already empty. It is believed that the suspects had fled, leaving behind only a few tablets, monitors, chairs and tables. We have handed over the case related to the discovery of the gambling hub to MBSJ for further investigation and action,' he said during a press conference after the operation. He added that all three houses were equipped with closed-circuit television cameras to monitor movements outside, and their operations targeted customers among undocumented migrants (PATI) residing in the apartment. Jafri Embok said 496 PATI were taken to the Semenyih Immigration Detention Centre after 741 foreigners were inspected in the operation, which ran from 10 pm to 1 am. 'The suspected offences include violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007,' he said. He added that similar joint operations will be conducted periodically, and the public is reminded not to employ, harbour or house foreigners without valid travel documents in their premises. Jafri Embok also said the department is implementing the Migrant Repatriation Programme (PRM) 2.0, running from May 19 this year until April 30, 2026.
The Star
18-06-2025
- The Star
Immigration Dept nab suspected mastermind of fake visa syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani man, believed to be the mastermind behind a fake visa syndicate, was nabbed following raids at two locations along Jalan Ipoh. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the raid, which began at 11am on Monday (June 16), involved officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya. It was the result of two weeks of surveillance and public complaints. "During the operation, officers inspected a premises where one local man and two local women were found conducting transactions. "A Pakistani man, believed to be the syndicate's mastermind, was also detained at the scene. "Initial checks revealed that the foreign suspect did not possess any valid travel documents or permits to be in the country," he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 18). Several items were seized, including 13 fake immigration stickers, with six for Bangladesh, two for India, two for the United States, one for Indonesia, one for Pakistan, and one biometric passport front label for Bangladesh, he said. "We also seized a desktop computer, laptop, and printer used in the forgery process," he added. Zakaria said investigations revealed that the syndicate was producing and selling counterfeit immigration stickers to undocumented migrants (PATI) residing in Malaysia. "These forged visas were sold at prices ranging between RM100 and RM120 each, depending on the country of origin," he said. He said all foreign nationals involved have been detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963. "They are currently held at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation. "We also issued notices to a local man and a local woman to report to the Immigration office to assist in the ongoing probe."
