Hundreds of illegal workers arrive home

SURABAYA: Hundreds of Indonesians who had been working illegally in Malaysia have been returned to the country through Juanda airport in Surabaya.

"The illegal workers, totaling 223, have been returned to their hometowns across the archipelago," said Moh. Djaelani, the head of the East Java provincial administration's manpower office.

He said the 223 were part of the 2,153 illegal workers who have been deported from Malaysia since last year through Juanda airport.

Of that total, 1,336 of the illegal workers came from East Java, while the remaining were from outside of East Java province.

The manpower office called on those hoping to work abroad to secure the proper documents before entering Malaysia, or face jail or caning in Malaysia. -- JP