About 2% of 1,303,126 undocumented migrants legalized - back to work? or legalized and deported???

"...over 2.5 million foreign workers had registered since the operation started on July 13. “Of the number, 1.6 million were legal foreign workers while 900,000 were illegals,” he[Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam] said... - Star, 31/8/2011, No extension to amnesty scheme as ministry prepares for next phase

'...second phase of the 6P programme to legalise the illegal foreign workers in the country would be undertaken for a three-month period, Home Ministry secretary general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said here....The 6P programme entails registration, legalising, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation of illegal immigrants and a total of 2,320,034 legal and illegal workers have registered under first phase which ended on Aug 31.Of those registered, 1,303,126 were illegals while the remaining 1,016,908 were legal workers....' - Star, 10/9/2011, Second phase of amnesty programme will last 3 months

Legal foreign workers and illegal immigrants who paid exorbitant fees for registration under the 6P amnesty and legalisation programme can file a case under the consumer tribunal to get back the excess money they had paid....The Government has fixed RM35 as maximum rate for registration of illegal immigrants through 348 appointed managing companies, while the maximum service charge for legalisation is RM300.- Star, 2/9/2011, Foreign workers who paid extra under amnesty can file case

*** They also can lodge complaints with the police and other government bodies - even SUHAKAM

PUTRAJAYA: The legalisation and amnesty process under the 6P programme for illegal foreign workers will be carried out simultaneously to enable those wishing to return to their countries to do so immediately.

The amnesty process involved two categories those who had participated in the registration process and wished to leave the country and those who had surrendered voluntarily.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said under the process, the illegals could directly deal with the Immigration Department to obtain the Exit Inspection Memo without any action being taken against them.

“As of Monday, a total of 25,561 illegal immigrants had been granted amnesty and had left the country.

“Among the five countries that registered the most number of the illegals, who had been granted amnesty and had left, were Indonesia with 15,901 immigrants, followed by India (2,501), Nepal (1,048), Myanmar (1,040) and Vietnam (930),” he said in a statement yesterday.

The 6P programme comprises registration, legalisation, amnesty, supervision, enforcement and deportation.

Hishammuddin said they had been screened and were found free of any criminal record.

“They have returned home with all costs fully borne by themselves,” he said, adding that the Government had not allocated any money to finance costs including food and temporary lodging.

Hishammuddin added that under the programme, the Government saved about RM3.3bil in gross expenditure to register 1,303,126 illegal immigrants, which ended on Aug 31.

He said the Government had instead managed to increase collection from fees charged for the levy, pass and visa imposed on foreign workers who were legalised.

He said that as of Sunday, 27,514 illegal immigrants had been legalised involving 2,208 employers. - Star, 2/11/2011, 25,500 illegals have left the country under amnesty, says Hishammuddin

Bid to free 9 migrant workers from Burma detained by Immigration (Malay Mail, 31/10/2011)

Bid to free workers

Nine from Myanmar wrongfully held by Immigration, says NGO 

 

Meena Lakshana

Monday, October 31st, 2011 11:29:00-  Malay Mail, 31/10/2011, Bid to free workers

PETALING JAYA: Nine Myanmar factory workers have been wrongfully detained by the Immigration Department since Oct 4, representatives of a non-profit organisation (NGO) said yesterday.

Burma Campaign Malaysia director Tun Tun said the workers were detained after failing to provide their work permits or visa documents to officers from the Shah Alam Immigration office who went to their apartment in Section 6, Kota Damansara, where they were staying.

"The officers went to the apartment at 1am after a complaint about noise was lodged against the workers by their neighbours," he told The Malay Mail.

Tun Tun claimed the outsourcing company that recruited the workers were in the midst of preparing the documents.

He said the workers had arrived in Malaysia in June.

He also said the workers' employer was holding their passports.

Tun Tun said the workers were being held at the KL International Airport (KLIA) Immigration detention centre in Sepang.

"They paid US$850 (RM2,604) each to come to Malaysia to work and were made to believe their documents would be ready on their arrival," he said.

He said the outsourcing company had shortchanged the workers as their documents were still not prepared.

"Every time we call them to ask about it, they would give us different answers," he said.

Tun Tun said Burma Campaign Malaysia was working with the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) for their release.

MTUC industrial relations director Peter Kandiah said officers from the Immigration Department should conduct thorough investigations before detaining foreign workers without proper documentation.

"Why weren't the outsourcing company's staff remanded?" he asked.

"I'm upset with the Immigration Department for the manner they are handling the matter."

Kandiah said the department had yet to answer his queries on the reasons for detaining the Myanmar workers.

"I've been trying to contact them since last Thursday but to no avail," he said.

"I was given the runaround when I visited the Immigration Department office. I even left my contact details but no one got back to me."

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said he needed to check the details of the case before commenting. - Malay Mail, 31/10/2011, Bid to free workers