05-07-2025
1,005 employers detained for hiring, harbouring undocumented migrants
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has detained 1,005 employers for allegedly hiring or harbouring undocumented migrants between Jan 1 and July 3 this year.
Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the arrests involved employers from various sectors, including restaurants, factories and retail shops, with most being locals found sheltering foreign nationals without valid documents.
"As of July, we've achieved 70 per cent of our Key Performance Indicator (KPI), and I'm confident we'll exceed our target by year-end," he told reporters at the IMI KL Run and Customer Engagement Day held here today.
Also present was Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff.
During the same period, the department conducted 6,913 operations nationwide, screened 97,322 foreign nationals and arrested 26,320 people for suspected immigration offences.
Zakaria said enforcement efforts would continue to be intensified, with no compromise on undocumented migrants.
The department is also monitoring over 200 identified hotspots across the country, including remote and rural areas.
He added that public outreach events such as today's programme, which drew over 800 participants, would be continued to strengthen public engagement.
