KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has detained 1,005 employers for allegedly hiring or sheltering undocumented migrants between January 1 and July 3 this year. The arrests spanned various sectors, including restaurants, factories, and retail shops, with most offenders being locals harbouring foreign workers without valid documents.
Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, director-general of the Immigration Department, stated that the department has already achieved 70 per cent of its Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the year. He expressed confidence that the target would be surpassed by year-end. “As of July, we’ve achieved 70 per cent of our Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and I’m confident we’ll exceed our target by year-end,“ he said during the IMI KL Run and Customer Engagement Day.
Nationwide enforcement efforts have been rigorous, with 6,913 operations conducted, screening 97,322 foreign nationals and resulting in 26,320 arrests for suspected immigration violations. Zakaria emphasised that enforcement will remain strict, with no leniency towards undocumented migrants. The department is actively monitoring over 200 identified hotspots, including remote and rural areas.
Public engagement initiatives, such as the IMI KL Run, which attracted over 800 participants, will continue to foster awareness and cooperation. The event featured two race categories, a five-kilometre and a 10-kilometre run, around the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office.
