It is no secret that we seem to have an issue with undocumented immigrant who often come to the country with no plans of returning back to where they came from.
Recently, the Immigration Department shared images of an illegal Indonesian settlement in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, whose residents were believed to have no intention of returning to their country of origin but rather to remain in this country without valid documents.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said that based on an inspection, the settlement that was built on uneven land and in a swampy area was found to have existed for a long time.
The settlement was even equipped with generators and had a makeshift school which uses learning syllabus of a neighbouring country. In the operation, 68 Indonesians were checked and 67 of them, aged between two months and 72, were detained for various offences, including not having valid identification documents and overstaying.
Tougher action needed
The discovery of the settlement has led to Malaysians calling for stricter actions to be enforced against immigrants who come to Malaysia.
The issue blew up on Twitter where netizens shared their two-cents on the matter.
“When we want to go to other countries there are so many SOPs. They require us to have a visa, documentation, other checks, have to take vaccines, and if we want to stay longer we’d get hit by so many questions. But foreigners can stay here so easily.”
“Malaysia is weak when it comes to enforcement of the law. Giving people a chance when not supposed to,” said a user.
Meanwhile, a couple of users even shared their experiences of coming across such illegal settlements in other parts of the country such as in Penang and Klang.
Should our enforcement against illegal immigrants step up and be much stricter? Have you come across such settlements before? Let us know in the comments section.
