Red Cross raises alarm on illegals
Red Cross raises alarm on illegals
Agencies, Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur
About 8,000 Indonesians, recently expelled from Malaysia
following a crackdown on illegal immigrants, are stranded in
border camps, resulting in many becoming ill with malaria and
tuberculosis, the Red Cross stated on Thursday.
The workers have packed into six camps in Nunukan, a district
in East Kalimantan province bordering Malaysia, a spokesman for
the International Committee of the Red Cross, Virgil Grandfield,
told AFP.
Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) chairman Mar'ie Muhammad described
the situation along the border as "terrible, with migrants packed
together like sardines".
The PMI has been running four health posts and one mobile
clinic in Nunukan for a month, treating 3,949 persons suffering
from diseases such as malaria, dengue, tuberculosis and
pneumonia, Grandfield stated.
He said he expected the number of workers arriving at Nunukan
to "skyrocket in the next days and hours".
Nunukan is a key entry point for Indonesian migrant workers
coming to and from Malaysia. Most of those in the camps do not
have enough money to return to their villages and are hoping to
return to Malaysia.
Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Fahmi Idris
said at least 449 Indonesian illegal migrants were netted in a
crackdown by Malaysian authorities.
He added that it should take no more than 14 days to
investigate the detained Indonesians.
"If some of them possess passports, they will be directly
deported. But those failing to show required documents, they will
be taken to court," Fahmi said.
He said the government has prepared a team of 26 lawyers to
assist the Indonesian workers facing trial in the neighboring
country.
The minister lamented the fact that so many illegal workers
defied the Feb. 28 amnesty deadline.
"We had several times told them to return home first to
arrange for their working permits. After that, they would have
been able to return to Malaysia to claim their salaries -- with
our assistance," he said.
"It's up to them if they don't want to return home. The
government cannot help them anymore."
The rights group Amnesty International last month urged
Malaysia to halt the planned deportation amid fears that migrants
from conflict zones like Myanmar, Nepal and Aceh could face
execution or torture when sent home.
But Malaysia has dismissed such fears.
Rights groups have also expressed concern that the massive
crackdown would lead to abuse.
Malaysia's Home Minister Azmi Khalid said on Thursday that the
roundup of illegal foreign workers was proceeding smoothly
without any reported cases of mistreatment, which human rights
groups feared might occur.
"So far, we have not heard any unpleasant stories," he said as
quoted by AP. "I would urge the teams involved in the operations
to protect the country's name so that our actions are respected
by our neighbors and the international community."
Azmi declined to reveal how many illegal migrants had been
nabbed so far in a nationwide crackdown that began after a four-
month amnesty ended at midnight Monday.
Malaysia had estimated there were nearly a million illegal
workers in the country, mostly from Indonesia but also from the
Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
Over 380,000 took advantage of the amnesty, which started at
the end of October, and left without any penalties. But hundreds
of thousands of illegal immigrants remain, many of them in the
construction, plantation and service industries with menial jobs
that many Malaysians refuse to do.