Malaysia Arrests 53 Nigerians Over Immigration Offences – Report
No fewer than 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.
The Nigerians accounted for the highest number of arrests among the African nationals detained during the period, followed by Uganda with 13, Kenya with 10 and Ghana with eight.
The Director-General of Malaysia’s Immigration Department, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, disclosed the figures in an interview with Utusan Malaysia shared on Friday, adding that the arrests were made during enforcement operations across 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 said the most common offence was entering or remaining in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit, under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
He said 85 people were arrested for the offence, including 47 Nigerians.
“The primary offence 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 added that 23 people were detained for overstaying their permitted period under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act.
He said three others were arrested for violating the conditions of their immigration passes under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
One Nigerian was also arrested for allegedly possessing forged documents under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act.
In addition to the foreign nationals, the authorities arrested an Algerian employer under Section 55B of the Act for allegedly employing foreign workers without valid passes.
Shaaban said the enforcement operations reflected the authorities’ commitment to tackling undocumented migration and taking action against employers who employed or accommodated 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 provide the identities of the Nigerians arrested or specify the locations where they were apprehended.
The arrests come days after three Nigerians were arrested in Delhi, India, for allegedly staying in the country without valid immigration documents. The men were arrested during an immigration verification exercise in southwest Delhi on October 31 and subsequently transferred to a detention centre.
