Malaysia accelerates deportation of undocumented Filipino nationals

Malaysia is stepping up efforts to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Filipino nationals amid mounting pressure to resolve the issue of irregular migration. Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the government aims to speed up the deportation process for the estimated 5,000 undocumented Filipinos present in Malaysia.

According to Hasan, over 1,000 Filipino detainees currently held in detention depots across Sabah have been processed and are prepared for immediate deportation to the Philippines. The accelerated timeline represents an attempt to clear backlog cases and reduce the number of undocumented migrants in Malaysian detention facilities.

The move reflects ongoing bilateral concerns regarding irregular migration between the two countries. Malaysia has long grappled with managing large numbers of undocumented foreign workers, particularly from the Philippines and Bangladesh, straining resources at immigration detention centres especially in border states like Sabah.

The repatriation initiative requires coordination between Malaysian and Philippine authorities to facilitate the smooth transfer of detainees. Officials have not specified a timeline for completing the full repatriation of all 5,000 individuals identified for deportation.