Malaysia deported 1,372 Indonesian workers in Nov.: Official

Malaysia deported 1,372 Indonesian migrant workers from Pasir Gudang to Riau Islands in November, a local immigration official says. 

“The troubled migrant workers were accommodated first at temporary shelters in Tanjung Pinang before they were sent back to their hometowns,” Tanjung Pinang immigration office chief Surya Pranata. 

Surya said the total number of troubled Indonesian migrant workers deported from Malaysia in 2009 exceeded 32,000, up from 35,143 in 2008 and 34,642 in 2007. 

“If the total is calculated from 2003 until Nov. 30, 2010, there are more than 230,000 troubled Indonesian migrant workers who have been deported from Malaysia,” he said. 

About 150 Indonesians a week have been deported from Malaysia, mostly for fleeing from employers, visa problems and other immigration violations, according to Antara news agency.