Immigration identifies 224 hotspots linked to undocumented migrants

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has identified 224 hotspots nationwide linked to the presence and activities of foreigners, including illegal settlements and overcrowded rental houses.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said other locations included workers' quarters at construction sites and business premises dominated by foreigners.

He said these locations required close attention and enforcement monitoring.

"From 2023 to June 15 this year, a total of 16,431 Op Sapu operations were conducted. These operations involved raids on various illegal settlements, including squatter houses, workers' quarters and lodging houses found to be occupied by undocumented migrants.

"During the period, 50,382 foreigners were detained for various offences under the Immigration Act," he said in an exclusive interview.

Zakaria said a location's status as a hotspot was not fixed but subject to ongoing assessment based on intelligence, public complaints, findings from enforcement operations and current analysis.

The assessment also took into account changes in the patterns of foreigners' presence, intelligence findings and enforcement action, he added.

"The department will continue to carry out targeted, intelligence-led enforcement while strengthening cooperation with local authorities and enforcement agencies within their respective jurisdictions.

"Action will also be taken against employers and other parties that employ or shelter undocumented migrants, or facilitate their presence, in accordance with the law," he said.

Zakaria said illegal settlements and villages involved the jurisdictions of several parties, including local authorities and other agencies.

"Within the department's jurisdiction, enforcement focuses on foreigners who are in the country in violation of immigration laws.

"As such, enforcement does not end once an operation has been carried out.

"Monitoring and enforcement will continue based on information, complaints and intelligence, including through strategic cooperation with local authorities and other enforcement agencies to address the presence of undocumented migrants at identified locations," he said.

He said the department also prioritised action against parties contributing to the presence of undocumented migrants, including employers who hired them or parties who sheltered them or allowed them to stay on their premises.

These included employers hiring undocumented migrants and parties sheltering them or allowing them to remain on their premises, subject to the provisions of the law in force.

"This approach is strengthened through intelligence, data analysis and information-sharing between agencies to identify high-risk locations and enable more targeted and sustained enforcement.

"Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive, inter-agency approach, not only through operations against undocumented migrants but also by tackling the factors that enable them to remain and work illegally in the country," he said.