Over 43,000 denied entry this year

Immigration D-G: Foreigners were slapped with Not To Land notices after strict vetting

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 43,429 foreigners were denied entry to the country so far this year, reveals the Immigration Department.

Director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali (pic) said all were slapped with NTL (Not To Land) notices.

He said individuals under suspicion were served with the NTL notice under Section 8 of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and ordered to return to their last port of embarkation.

“The department conducts strict vetting to ensure not one dubious foreigner comes in,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Of those turned back, the bulk were in Selangor (22,037) and Johor (17,609).

Mustafar said on its part, the Immigration Department had taken steps to ensure the criteria for entry to the country were widely known.

He said such information was shared with Malaysia’s missions overseas and through engagement with embassies and consulates.

“There should not be any reason for anyone not to know the requirements to enter Malaysia, be it for leisure or work.

“We have 137 entry points nationwide, so we need to remain vigilant to ensure security is not compromised,” he said.

On illegal immigrants, Mustafar said the department had given them and their employers ample time to take part in the rehiring programme from Feb 15, 2016 to June 30 this year.

“It was to give the illegals a chance to obtain valid work documents.

“Some 744,000 foreign workers registered but only 450,000 met the necessary requirements,” he said.

The department also introduced the illegal immigrant voluntary surrender (3+1) programme, in which they are required to pay a RM400 fine and return to their countries using their own funds or with the help of the respective embassies.

“The deadline for the amnesty programme is Aug 30 and we will not extend it.

“Starting Aug 31, we will intensify enforcement against illegals,” he said, adding that ample time had been given to the illegals and their employers to make good.

On the ongoing Ops Mega 3.0, which began on July 1 to flush out illegal immigrants, he said 24,463 of them were detained together with 635 employers.

Mustafar also said Malaysia would host the annual Asean Immigration director-generals and commissioners meeting next month.

“There will be discussions on various topics, such as tackling transborder crime such as human trafficking.

“We expect to share each country’s best practices in dealing with immigration-related matters,” he said.

Mustafar said the Malaysian Immigration would emphasise how big data had helped strengthen the department’s approach in terms of punitive and preventive efforts.