KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Immigration Department is deporting immigrants back to their countries of origin at least twice a month.
Its state director, Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff, said that last year, the department deported 8,678 individuals via sea and land.
As of Jan 25 this year, the total number of detainees sent back was 1,529.
"I would like to emphasise that there is no longer overcrowding of detainees at the depot centres.
"Such a situation only occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic as the Philippine government refused to accept their citizens, citing closed borders.
"But after the transition to the endemic era, overcrowding no longer exists. For example, in Papar, the maximum capacity is 2,100, but currently, it is only 600.
"The same applies to Tawau and Sandakan. Now, the (number of detainees) for each depot is below 700," she said in a press conference, adding that the Philippine government has better collaborated on the deportation procedures for their citizens.
Sitti also said that last year, the department recorded the highest number of operations in terms of arresting people.
In total, there were 1,463 operations with 4,108 people arrested.
"We have conducted operations from time to time, especially in squatter areas which we call 'hotspots.'
"We carried out 43 operations in these hotspot areas, focusing mainly on Semporna, Lahad Datu, and Sandakan.
"We have teams in those districts performing daily operations, especially during traffic enforcement near those hotspots."
To conduct operations at those hotspots, Sitti said there would be plans for integrated operations led by other agencies.
Meanwhile, on the ongoing digital registration of foreigners, including illegal immigrants in Sabah, Sitti acknowledged the exercise.
"We are aware of it, but this exercise is under the Sabah government."
Last year, the State Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who led the exercise, had said that it was meant for regulation, human rights, and finding solutions to manage them accordingly.
