(Credit - Department of Social Welfare and Development)
800 Filipinos deported from Malaysia arrive in Zamboanga Port
A total of 800 undocumented Filipinos deported from Malaysia arrived at Zamboanga City Port at around 8 pm on October 30, following detention across Sabah. The returning group, which faced repatriation amid intensified enforcement operations targeting foreign nationals without valid immigration status or work permits, included 589 adult men, 89 adult women, and 122 children under the age of 12.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office IX stated that the minors comprised 64 boys and 58 girls. Upon arrival, immediate assistance including meals was provided before transferring the group to the Processing Center for Displaced Persons for individual assessment and support.
This arrival marked the second batch of deportees received by the Philippines this year, following an initial repatriation in January. The operation pushed the total number of Filipinos sent home from Malaysia this week to 1,069, which includes a separate transfer of 269 individuals on October 27. Malaysian immigration data shows that 7,490 detainees of various nationalities have been repatriated from Sabah so far this year, with Filipinos accounting for 5,357 of those departures.
Weekly Repatriations Planned to Clear Detention Centers
Sabah Immigration director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof stated that Malaysia plans to deport 800 Filipino detainees weekly under upcoming operations to ease overcrowding in facilities located in Sandakan, Papar, and Tawau. Authorities are aiming to complete repatriations within a month of detainees finishing sentences or handover by enforcement agencies, while urging respective embassies to expedite travel document issuance to prevent delays.
