Nikko Fabian
SANDAKAN : The Sabah Immigration Department deported 417 illegal Filipinos to Zamboanga City on Wednesday.
Its Immigration Director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Binti Habib Yussof said the deportees comprising of 349 males, 41 females ,3 children below 12 year old and 24 infants (23 months and below) were from the Sandakan temporary detemtion depot.
The average age of the detainees involved in this transfer ranged from 1 month to 66 years.
Children involved in the repatriation were accompanied by their respective parents and guardians via sea using the vessel MV Antonia 1.
“A total of 2,437 Filipino detainees have been repatriated since January to their home country through sea and air transportation,” Saleha said.
She added the repatriation exercise was the 9th series for this year .
All repatriated unauthorized foreign nationals have committed various offenses under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
The penalties imposed are based on the country’s legal processes until the action of deportation to the home country is enforced.
The frequency of the Filipino repatriatoon exercise detainee is also subject to strategic cooperation from the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to expedite the documentation process for detainees and issue travel documents to enable their transfer to the home country.
Saleha reiterated that her department and other agrncies and drpartments concerned remains committed to conducting enforcement operations and the transfer of illegal immigrants after they have gone through all enforcement measures and the country’s legal processes.
Zamboanga-base MV Antonia 1 is the designated ferry vessel to transfer Filipinos deportees from Sandakan Port.
