Mass arrests have started in Malaysia since the hiring freeze. Hundreds of migrants from different countries including Bangladeshis have been detained in the last few days.
On Saturday (June 8), Malaysian immigration arrested more than 300 migrants, including 84 Bangladeshis, in a raid in Johor state.
Immigration Deputy Director-General (Operations) Jaffrey Mbok said in a statement on Saturday (June 8), preliminary information including drone surveillance showed that 850 to 1,000 migrants were kept in 130 containers.
A team of 130 including enforcement officers, Civil Defense Force, National Registration Department, People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) and National Anti-Drugs Agency conducted the operation. Hearing the sound of the raiding party’s vehicles, panic spread among the migrants. A total of 252 migrants were screened when the team raided the construction site.
129 of them were found to be in Malaysia without permission by violating the rules under the Immigration Act 1959/63, overstaying, abusing their social visit pass by obtaining employment.
Among those detained at the construction site was a 40-year-old Malaysian who claimed to be a translator for 30 Chinese nationals detained in the raid. He was detained for harboring immigrants. Among those detained at the same place are 84 Bangladeshi, Indian, Indonesian, Myanmar and Pakistani nationals.
The raiding party screened 725 migrants during raids at another construction site in the city centre. A total of 198 people were detained for not being able to show valid documents to stay in the country.
