More than 31,000 Bangladeshi migrants living in Malaysia without valid documents have registered their names for taking the advantage of the country's migrant repatriation programme.
With the inclusion, the total number of migrants, from 110 countries living there illegally, intending to repatriate exceeded two lakhs, Harian Metro, a Malaysian newspaper, reports quoting Malaysian Immigration Department.
The Immigration Department of Malaysia announced its migrant repatriation programme from March 1 this year to send the illegal migrants back to their countries.
According to the warning of the department, if the illegal migrants do not go back to their countries paying MR 200 to MR 300 penalty, the Malaysian authorities would take strict actions.
Beginning from March 1, a total of 206,600 illegal migrants have already registered their names for returning to their countries taking the advantage of the programme, the newspaper reports quoting Malaysian Immigration Department's Director General Zakaria Shaban, who held a press conference on Wednesday.
Of the registered illegal migrants, highest 98,259 persons are Indonesians while 31,041 Bangladeshis, 28,152 Indians, 14,089 Pakistanis and 13,366 Myanmar nationals. Among them, 146,742 persons are male and 48,639 are female. Besides, there are 5,852 boys and 5,377 girls in the lists.
According to the report, 180,343 registered illegal migrants were already repatriated to their countries. Procedures to send the rests are on and continue till December 31 this year.
According to the report, most of those illegal migrants were jobless and without valid documents. Some of them have been defrauded even after travelling to the country with valid documents.
