No overcrowding at immigration detention depots - Saifuddin Nasution

ALOR SETAR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has denied claims that immigration detention depots in the country are experiencing overcrowding.

According to him, so far there are about 13,000 illegal immigrants in 19 immigration detention depots across the country.

"The only situation where the depots experienced congestion was during the COVID-19 period because we could not repatriate them. Right now there are 19 depots, the number of immigrants is 13,000, where is the congestion? There is no congestion," he told a press conference here today.

He was met by reporters after the handing over of letters of appointment to the members of Federal Village Development and Security Committees (JPKKP) in Kedah for 2024.

Saifuddin Nasution was asked to comment on whether there is overcrowding at the immigration detention depots and whether the government intends to repatriate detained illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.

He said the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) conducts operations from time to time to detect foreigners who do not have valid documents or expired documents covering various sectors including construction, plantation and manufacturing.

Saifuddin Nasution said based on several operations carried out, out of every 10 foreigners who were checked, 80 per cent of them had valid documents, while 20 percent did not have valid documents.

Meanwhile, commenting on Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's request for the Federal Government to approve additional allocations for the construction and upgrading of five water treatment plants (LRA) in Kedah immediately, Saifuddin Nasution who is also state Development Action Council co-chairman said the reason for the delay is because the project needs to be identified first.

"Before we get to considering proposals to increase costs, budget and so on, we will make a decision based on an analysis of the causes that lead to such delays.

"The cost of construction materials can be one factor, there can be other factors too. If we solve the cost of construction materials but other factors are not addressed, it won't happen either. We have to look at it as a whole," he said.

Earlier, Muhammad Sanusi was reported to be requesting the Federal Government to expedite the approval of additional cost applications for the project to upgrade and build the LRA following the increase in costs faced by contractors following the increase in the price of building materials.

-- BERNAMA

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