By Favour Ulebor & Agency Report
No fewer than 53 Nigerians were among 112 undocumented African nationals arrested by Malaysian immigration authorities between January and October 31 over various immigration offences, Malaysian newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, has reported.
The Nigerians recorded the highest number of arrests among the African nationals, 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, published on Friday.
According to the report, other nationals arrested included Somalia (6), Tanzania (6), Senegal (4), Algeria (3), Burkina Faso (2), Togo (2) and The Gambia (2). One national each from Guinea, Zimbabwe and Libya was also arrested.
Shaaban said the most common offence was entering or remaining in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit, contrary to 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 said 23 others were arrested for overstaying their permitted period under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act.
He added that three people were detained 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.
The authorities also arrested an Algerian employer under Section 55B of the Act for allegedly employing foreign workers without valid immigration passes.
Shaaban said the enforcement operations were part of efforts to curb undocumented migration and prosecute employers who engage or accommodate 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.
However, the report did not disclose the identities of the Nigerians arrested or the specific locations where the arrests were made.
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