Migrant Repatriation Program

PUTRAJAYA: Following the implementation of the Migrant Repatriation Program (MRP) from 1 March to 31 December, undocumented immigrants are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to voluntarily return to their home countries and meet the requirements set by the Immigration Department.

This includes having valid travel documents and return flight tickets.

Speaking to Bernama, Director-General of Immigration, Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, said that the government decided on 31 January to grant exemption from prosecution and offer compounds to undocumented immigrants who surrender to return to their home countries for three offenses.

The three offenses under the Immigration Act 1959/1963 (Act 155) related to the presence of undocumented immigrants in the country are entering or staying in Malaysia without a valid pass or permit, and they are offered a compound of RM500 for each offense - entering or staying without a valid pass, overstaying in Malaysia, and violating pass conditions.

"I urge undocumented immigrants to take advantage of this opportunity, as this is the time to return to their home countries without prosecution, and they need to pay a certain amount of compound fees. However, those who are detained, on remand, or facing charges are not eligible to participate in the MRP," he said.

It is estimated that between 300,000 to 400,000 undocumented immigrants will participate in the MRP.

Expanding further, Ruslin said that the documents required by undocumented immigrants when dealing with the Immigration office are return flight tickets and valid travel documents issued by their home countries or respective embassies in Malaysia. 

For those who do not have any documents, they need to refer to their respective embassies to obtain any necessary documents to enable them to return to their home countries.

He said that Immigration will hold engagement sessions with foreign embassies such as Indonesia and Bangladesh this week to explain the MRP and to seek embassy cooperation regarding the program.

"When they come to our office, they need to show their return tickets within 14 days from the date of surrendering to the Immigration office.

"After verification (and if the documents are complete), we will issue a check-out memo and the compound must be paid (according to the offense category), and they must leave Malaysia within 14 days," he said, adding that those under 18 years of age are exempted from compound fees.

However, he emphasized that the payment of compounds will not involve any cash transactions at all and will only use electronic payment methods such as credit cards, debit cards, or the Touch 'n Go e-wallet.

At the same time, Ruslin also reminded that Immigration or the Ministry of Home Affairs does not appoint any agents to deal with undocumented immigrants to facilitate the MPR process.

He said that undocumented immigrants are also requested to be aware of individuals who claim to be agents with the "authority" to deal with embassies to obtain relevant documents.

Acknowledging the possibility that undocumented immigrants may feel afraid to "surrender," he said the MRP is indeed a special program for them and there is no need to worry as the process is easy and does not involve the use of third parties or agents.

"For me, there is no need to involve agents in this matter, come to the Immigration office yourself. I don't want this fear to prevent them from leaving and participating in this program," he said.

When asked about the implications of the MRP on the government, he explained that it brings various positive impacts, especially in terms of national security and reducing public concerns about the influx of foreigners into the country.

He said that the presence of undocumented immigrants in the country also creates room for criminal activities and, worse, makes it difficult for authorities to track down those involved due to the lack of complete documentation.

"Security is the priority of Immigration... we are aware that foreign nationals have already built their own community structures, opened shops, and so on.

"In addition, undocumented foreigners also enjoy the same subsidies as citizens in terms of cooking oil and petrol. In other words, through migrant repatriation, we hope to reduce wastage and provide better financial implications," said Ruslin. - BERNAMA