A total of 316 Filipinos were deported from Sabah in the First Series of the Illegal Immigrant Deportation Programme.
KOTA KINABALU: The Immigration Department of Malaysia, Sabah with cooperation from the Philippine Embassy executed the First Series of the Illegal Immigrant (PATI) Deportation Programme for 2021, on Saturday.
During the First Series, 316 Filipinos were detained at the Tawau Immigration Depot since 2020 and were sent home via the Sandakan Port to the Zamboanga Port, after travelling by land from Tawau to Sandakan for about seven hours.
“There is a strict health screening process, including Covid-19 screening and PATI separation process for a fixed period, to ensure there is no spread of Covid-19 for every PATI before they are deported.
“All PATI detained were convicted for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963, such as having no valid documents, overstaying and violating the terms of a pass or permit,” said Sabah Immigration Department director Dato Dr Muhamad Sade Mohamad Amin.
Muhamad Sade further said the deportation programme was part of the activities of an ongoing deportation process by the Immigration Department of Malaysia, Sabah, for detainees at Immigration depots throughout the state.
Although the deportation process at the beginning of 2021 could not be executed due to the Movement Control Order, close cooperation between the department and the Philippine Embassy made the deportation process smooth, led by Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis.
Muhamad Sade credited the Philippine Embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sabah state government, Royal Malaysian Police and other agencies for ensuring the deportation process was smooth.
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