KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — The repatriation programme for Myanmar nationals to return to their country of origin on February 23 does not involve United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders or people of Rohingya ethnicity.
Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said that the repatriation of Myanmar nationals was part of the normal process of deporting immigrants placed at immigration depots using the country’s naval vessels.
He said that Myanmar nationals involved in the programme consisted of those detained at the immigration depots for committing various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963, including no identity documents, overstaying and misuse of visit passes.
Khairul Dzaimee said that in this regard, Malaysian Immigration would like to thank the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia for cooperating and arranging the repatriation of their citizens.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic period, from January to December last year, the Immigration Department deported a total of 37,038 immigrants.
“They consist of 17,002 Indonesians; Bangladesh (5,450 people); Myanmar (3,322); Thailand (2,358), Pakistan (1,493) and the rest are from other countries,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Khairul Dzaimee said that there was a significant difference in terms of repatriation of illegal immigrants last year, with 37,038 compared with the previous year (2019) at 59,114.
“The significant difference in the number of immigrants repatriated back to the country of origin was due to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world.
“Most countries closed their borders as well as reducing the number of flights and sea transport. This has affected the eviction process of immigrants from the immigration depots to the detainees’ country of origin,” he said.
— Bernama
