2,742 illegals arrive home

2,742 illegals arrive home

SURABAYA: At least 2,742 illegal migrant workers, who were
granted amnesty by the Malaysian government, arrived at Tanjung
Perak Port here on Sunday from the neighboring country aboard a
Navy ship, KRI Nusa Nive.

"We expect 30,000 other illegals from East Java, who are still
in Malaysia, will follow," East Java manpower office head
Mohammad Djailani said.

He said the ship, which carried Indonesian workers, left Port
Klang, Kuala Lumpur, several days ago, picking up some passengers
at Jakarta's Tanjung Priok and Tanjung Emas in Semarang, Central
Java, before heading to Surabaya.

The 2,742 illegals included 560 workers from Surabaya, 516
from Madura, 155 from Malang and 626 from Banyuwangi, Djailani
added.

He said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur was pushing for
the immediate repatriation of other illegal migrant workers,
before the amnesty program's deadline on Dec. 31, 2004. --JP