Sabah: Four Air-con Tour Buses Used In Repatriation Process Of 157 Illegal Immigrants

By Noorazlina Jindeh

PAPAR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- The repatriation process for 157 illegal immigrants (PTI) from the Papar Immigration Detention Depot to the Sandakan Port to facilitate their return to their respective countries was carried out this morning. Four comfortable air-conditioned tour buses were used in the transportation of the illegal migrants.

A Bernama survey this morning at the depot found the documentation process for the repatriation process, which began at 10 pm yesterday, went smoothly before departing at 6 am today for an eight-hour journey of about 400 kilometres, before they (illegal migrants) were scheduled to board vessels to return to their respective countries.

The repatriation process followed the standard operating procedure (SOP) that had been set, whereas security controls involving the Royal Malaysian Police, Immigration Department, and medical officers from the Ministry of Health accompanied the buses.

The Papar Immigration Detention Depot is situated about 45 km south of Kota Kinabalu and can accommodate approximately 2,000 PTI detainees at a time. The detainees comprise various nationalities including those from the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan, who had violated immigration regulations.

The detention period for PTI depends on the documentation process by the country of origin before they are sent back to their respective countries.

Sabah Immigration Department director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Sandakan Port later this afternoon to comment further on the repatriation process.

-- BERNAMA