PETALING JAYA: Immigration depots across Malaysia are operating within their designated capacities, the Home Affairs Ministry has confirmed.
According to an FMT report, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the current number of detainees does not exceed the capacity of the facilities nationwide.
There are 25 immigration depots, including temporary ones, which collectively accommodate up to 20,750 detainees as of Sept 30.
"Presently, there are 17,326 detainees in these depots, which accounts for 82.5 per cent of the total capacity," Saifuddin said in a written parliamentary response.
The detainee population consists of 12,231 men, 3,003 women, and 2,092 children. This statement was in response to an inquiry from Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi), who sought clarification on the proactive measures the government is implementing to prevent overcrowding in the depots.
Saifuddin said that the immigration department grants the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to detainees on a case-by-case basis and facilitates the release of detainees holding UNHCR cards. Additionally, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, and others have been allowed access to detainees.
"This access is subject to written applications approved by the Immigration Director-General," he said.
Saifuddin added that 264 NGOs visited the depots between January and September to ensure the detainees' welfare and provide necessary assistance.
In March, Saifuddin revealed that there were approximately 13,000 undocumented migrants in 19 immigration detention depots nationwide. He mentioned that the only period when the depots were overcrowded was during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the government was unable to repatriate the migrants.