FLAWS IN DEPORTATION PROCEDURES

AG says myIMMs system failed to blacklist deported immigrants

IMMIGRANTS who had been deported from Malaysia were not blacklisted by the Immigration Department, thus opening the possibility of them returning to the country.

These were among the findings of the Auditor General’s Report 2016 Series 1 on the Immigration Department, which described the department’s management of the deportation of immigrants as “less than satisfactory”.

The report said the department’s Malaysian Immigration System (myIMMs) failed to blacklist deported immigrants. The number of those deported registered in the system also differed from those recorded by the department’s enforcement division.

“The number of removed immigrants between myIMMs and the department’s enforcement division headquarters differed by 155,813. They were also not blacklisted and updated on the suspects’ list in the system,” stated the report.

There were also flaws in the contracts for the ferry service used by the department to deport the immigrants.

“Ferry service contracts were renewed four times with the same company from 2007 to 2017. Yet, there was no travel insurance coverage for the immigrants until 2015.”

The department’s management of depots was described as “satisfactory”. However, the report took note of several weaknesses that should be addressed by the Home Ministry and the department.

“The audit carried out between November last year and January this year found that controlled documents in the deportation transit centre were poorly managed as they were handled by contractors.

“The appointed caterers also failed to provide meals according to specified menus in the contract. There was also no quarantine room in the detention depot, while others were poorly managed.”

From 2014 to last year, the number of detainees totalled 265,550 immigrants of various citizenship. In that period, 179,364 immigrants were deported to their home countries. The majority of those deported were Indonesians at 75,580, followed by Bangladeshis (27,283) and Myanmar nationals (17,627).

The total expenditure for detention and removal of immigrants was RM95.24 million from 2014 to last year.