PETALING JAYA: A total of 652 illegal immigrants (PATI) from the Philippines were deported from Sandakan port to their country of origin yesterday.
According to Harian Metro, the detainees from the Papar, Sandakan, and Tawau Immigration Depots respectively were transported by sea to the Zamboanga City port in the Philippines.
The deportation included 469 men, 130 women, 43 children aged 12 and under, and 10 children aged 23 months and under.
Sabah Immigration Department director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff said this operation was the 13th transfer programme of the Usir category for 2024, conducted using the vessel MV Antonia 1.
She added that the deportees, ranging in age from two months to 76 years, had committed various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
So far this year, a total of 3,118 Filipino detainees were transferred by sea and air, bringing the total number of foreign nationals deported this year to 4,809.
