No fewer than 53 Nigerians were part of 112 undocumented African nationals arrested by Malaysian immigration officials. This happened during enforcement operations from January to October 31, according to a report by Utusan Malaysia.
The Nigerians made up the largest group of those arrested from Africa. Following them were Uganda with 13, Kenya with 10, and Ghana with eight.
Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, the Director-General of Malaysia’s Immigration Department, shared these details in an interview with Utusan Malaysia on Friday. He said the arrests were carried out during operations across the country.
The report stated, “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 explained that the main offence was entering or staying in Malaysia without proper documents. This is under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
He noted that 85 people were arrested for this offence, with 47 being 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 mentioned that 23 people were held for overstaying their allowed time, as stated in Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act. Three others were arrested for breaking the rules of their immigration passes under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
One Nigerian was also arrested for allegedly having fake documents under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act. Besides the foreign nationals, an Algerian employer was arrested under Section 55B of the Act. He was accused of employing foreigners without valid passes.
Shaaban stated that these operations show the authorities’ commitment to fighting undocumented migration. They also aim to take action against employers who hire or house foreign nationals without the right immigration papers.
“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 mention the names of the Nigerians arrested or the specific places where they were caught.
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