New Jawi Immigration Depot To Be Fully Operational This December - Saifuddin Nasution

NIBONG TEBAL, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The newly completed Immigration detention depot in Jawi will begin housing illegal immigrants on Nov 26, and will be fully operational by Dec 1, replacing the nearby Juru Detention Depot, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He added that the RM77.5 million facility, spanning 6.07 hectares, is equipped with a range of amenities, and has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,200 male and female detainees.

“The Public Works Department successfully completed this depot, as the implementing agency, and today we are officially handing over the facility. The complex includes a detention area, a court for illegal immigrants, and staff quarters for immigration officers. We plan to relocate the residents of the Juru Detention Depot, along with the 118 staff members currently assigned there,” he explained.

Saifuddin Nasution also noted that, while Juru’s capacity is 500 detainees, the current occupancy is 233 men and 133 women, all foreign nationals. The detainees have been held for violations of the Immigration Act, including the misuse of visit passes, entering without documentation, and overstaying their visas.

He said this after the handover ceremony of the construction of the Immigration detention depot and staff quarters in Jawi, which was also attended by Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.

Previously, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan reportedly said that the construction of the depot, including staff quarters, at a cost of RM77.5 million, was expected to be completed by May 8, 2022, after construction began on May 27, 2019. However, the project was delayed, due to the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The construction of the Jawi Immigration Detention Depot was part of the First Rolling Plan of the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), designed to provide a well-equipped immigration detention centre, which can accommodate the required capacity and incorporate advanced security features.

This project was initiated to replace the Juru Immigration Detention Depot, which was built in 1976 and has become dilapidated and unsafe for use.

Saifuddin Nasution also clarified that immigration detention depots in Malaysia are meant to be temporary, and that overcrowding is not an issue. In fact, the number of detainees currently stands at 14,000, well below the nationwide capacity of 20,000.

He added that, when a foreigner is processed through the court system, such as for overstaying, the authorities proceed with prosecution and issue a blacklist to prevent future entry into Malaysia.

“Once they have served their sentence, we house them temporarily until their travel documents are ready, after which we return them to their country of origin,” he explained.

“Overall, our immigration detention depots are not at full capacity. We still have more space available as the number of detainees remains much lower than the maximum capacity,” he said.

-- BERNAMA