The Malaysian government has rounded up as many as 250 Nepalis in the last two days, as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The Malaysian immigration department said a total of 229 Nepalis were nabbed by the authorities yesterday and at least 20 more were rounded up today. “However, the exact number of Nepali citizens detained on Monday can only be confirmed tomorrow as we are still compiling figures,” Deputy Director at the Enforcement Division of the Department of Immigration (Malaysia) M Saravana Kumar told THT over the phone. Most of the Nepalis who were nabbed were picked from Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley and Johor, Saravana informed.

“We will launch an investigation and if they produce proper documents we will release them. But if they are found to be living in Malaysia illegally, they will be presented before the public prosecutor who will either deport them, imprison them or slap them with fines,” Saravana said.

The Malaysian government launched the latest operation after many illegal migrants who had enrolled for amnesty in 2011 later ‘disappeared’. Some Nepalis, who are residing in Malaysia, told THT that the authorities were rounding up Nepalis ‘ruthlessly, without even asking for documents’.

More than four lakh Nepalis are employed in Malaysia.

Published on: 3 September 2013 | The Himalayan Times