Tawau – A total of 209 Indonesian illegal immigrants, comprising 150 men, 35 women, 17 boys and seven girls aged between one and 60 years, were sent back to their country of origin yesterday through the Tawau Ferry Terminal.
Sabah State Immigration Director, Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yusssof, said the repatriation involved detainees from the Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan Immigration Depots, who were transported via the Francis Express and Purnama Express ferries to Nunukan Port, Indonesia.
“All the detainees were convicted under Sections 15(1)(c) and 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963 for overstaying and entering Malaysia without valid documents. They have also completed their prison sentences before being sent back,” Datuk SH Sitti Saleha said in a statement today.
He added that all detainees will be blacklisted in the Malaysian Immigration Department system according to the offenses committed.
This year alone, Sabah has repatriated a total of 1,496 Indonesians, bringing the total number of foreigners deported to their country of origin in 2025 to 8,025.
“The implementation of this PATI repatriation program is subject to the issuance of a Passport Travel Certificate (SPLP) by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia. This effort is aimed at preventing detainees from staying too long at the depot,” he explained.
Datuk SH Sitti Saleha stressed that the Sabah State Immigration Department will not compromise with any foreign national who abuses pass or permit facilities. “Strict action will also be taken against employers or premises owners who hire foreign workers without valid documents. We advise all employers to engage foreign workers only through legal channels,” he said.
He confirmed that enforcement operations will continue to be intensified from time to time to combat the presence of illegal immigrants in the state.