Photo credit: Benar News
Some 27,000 foreign nationals in Malaysia guilty of immigration offences have taken advantage of a government program that allows them to return home for a nominal fee.
CNA reports that the Mirant Repatriation Program initiative started on March 1 and will end on December 31.
Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff told local media that those who have applied to return to their home countries through the program have paid US$2.96 million in fines. He said, “We process more than 350 applications daily.”
According to the Immigration Department, those who wish to return home via the initiative will have to pay a fine between RM300 and RM500, depending on the nature of their offence.
The offences may include overstaying in the country or breaching their visa conditions.
Wan Mohammed, the immigration official, also told local media that the respective applicants must provide valid travel documents and flight tickets. They may also consult their respective embassies for assistance. He warned: “No agents or third parties are authorized to handle applications on behalf of the Immigration Department.”
Most migrant workers in Malaysia work in labour-intensive sectors such as construction, agriculture and manufacturing, as well as occupations considered to be dirty, dangerous or demeaning, better known as 3D jobs.
