Ram Chandra Giri

The crackdown announced by the Malaysian government on illegal migrants set to begin from January 21 could affect thousands of Nepali migrant workers .

In view of the situation, the Nepali Embassy in Malaysia has said its office will remain open even on Sunday to distribute travel documents to illegal Nepali migrants before the crackdown starts.

Informing that those holding travel documents and return tickets will not be arrested, the embassy asked illegal Nepali migrants to contact the embassy to procure receive travel documents at the earliest. Officials at the Nepali mission said that illegal Nepali migrants holding travel documents and return tickets could return to Nepal after paying fine to the immigration department of Malaysia.

The Home Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had announced the crackdown on illegal migrant from January 21.

In a similar crackdown earlier, thousands of illegal Nepali migrants were arrested without permits. Many Nepalis were sent back to their country in the wake, while many more were held in detention centres after they failed to produce the documents to attest their legitimacy for their stay in the country.

The Malaysian government holds illegal migrants in detention centres so that they could be sent home with the help of concerned embassy and agencies.

There are an estimated 500,000 Nepali migrants working in Malaysia. Many are said to be illegal.

Published on: 19 January 2014 |The Kathmandu Post