KAJANG – The Home Ministry hopes to table a working paper to the cabinet soon to shift children from immigration detention depots.
Its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said currently, the ministry is in the final stage of collecting data on the number, age and locations of children detained at immigration depots in the country.
He said that in completing the working paper, the ministry held several engagements with stakeholders and experts, including Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood and Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar.
“Currently, there are 1,030 children in 20 immigration detention depots, and they comprise 579 boys and 451 girls.
“Of the total, 351 of them are in the detention depots with their guardians,” he told a press conference at the sahur (pre-dawn meal) programme at the Semenyih Immigration Detention Depot, here, early today.
Saifuddin said the ministry always strives to look after the welfare of children who are in immigration detention depots by ensuring they have access to education and health, as well as be given appropriate treatment should they fall sick.
“So far, there are five immigration detention depots that provide classes for these children, including at Semenyih, Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot, here, Pekan Nenas Immigration Detention Depot in Johor and Belantik Immigration Detention Depot in Kedah,” he said.
He said the classes are conducted by the staff of the immigration detention depots on a voluntary basis.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said 14,139 illegal immigrants had been deported between January and April 12. They comprised 10,625 adult men, 2,907 adult women, 364 boys and 243 girls.
According to nationalities, 5,571 are Indonesians, Myammar (3,285) and Filipinos (2,203), he added.
On the duration of stay of illegal immigrants at the immigration detention depot before their deportation, he said, it depends on how quickly the country of origin can complete the documentation.
“So far, Indonesia is the fastest country to provide documentation for its citizens who are detained here,” he added.
Also present was Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh. – Bernama, April 15, 2023
