Cover their daily cost if you care so much about undocumented migrants, home minister tells human rights NGOs

 

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin asked if non-governmental organisations were willing to cover the daily cost to house and feed the immigrants in the detention centres. ― Picture by Hari Anggara

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KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin today mocked human rights advocates who questioned the government’s shoddy treatment of detained undocumented migrants before deportation.

While taking questions during a news conference after launching the new national immigration system, Hamzah turned around and asked if non-governmental organisations were willing to cover the daily cost to house and feed the immigrants in the detention centres.

“It’s like this, when the time comes to return these immigrants to their home countries, we send them back. Why would we want to continue to hold them?

“It cost us about RM30 per head per day to care for them in the detention centres. If these NGOs care so much about these illegal immigrants, they should cover the cost. You can put them up in hotels if you like,” he told reporters.

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- malaymail