No action despite cautioned over poor conditions at depot, say experts

21 Apr 2022 09:00am

Criminologist Datuk Shahul Hamid Abd Rahim says the blame should be shared equally among the Immigration Department, Wisma Putra, as well as the United Nations Organisation (UN) for failing to address the issue of illegal immigrants and refugees.

SHAH ALAM - Security and law experts say the government is likely to be at fault after 528 Rohingya refugees escaped Sungai Bakap Immigration Detention Depot early Wednesday morning.

International law expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Professor Dr Salawati Mat Basir said the government was cautioned over poor procedures in managing migrants, but no proper action was taken.

Some of the issues at depots are congestion, mistreatment, and poor security - all of which resulted in the detainees fleeing the depot.

"This problem has been around for decades but the government has not been able to solve it.

"I do not know what the ministry is doing. When asked why the detention depot was not well maintained and overcrowded, the reason given was that there were not enough funds, that's all," he said.

A total of 528 Rohingya detainees fled the Sungai Bakap Immigration Detention Depot, Penang, at 4.30 am on Wednesday.

Salawati added overcrowding and poorly maintained depot were some of the reasons detainees to feel dissatisfied and angry.

He also did not rule out the possibility of mistreatment that caused them to flee.

“Maybe they (the authorities) had been mistreating the detainees, which caused the riots. We have no idea what went on at the depot.

"In terms of security, the government needs to improve. Even the grill installed at the depot is not up to par," he said, after media reports say that detainees broke down the grills to escape.

"We have talked about this for almost 20 years now, and with ministers coming and going, there are no proper procedures to manage detainees.

"Those arrested are no longer under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),” he added.

Criminologist Datuk Shahul Hamid Abd Rahim said the blame should be shared equally among the Immigration Department, Wisma Putra, and the United Nations for failing to address the issue of illegal immigrants and refugees.

“Most of them have been held there for too long. They were desperate to leave.

"Wisma Putra must help place these refugees elsewhere so they don’t stay in one place for too long," he said.