Relieved to be back on home soil after being held in an immigration detention centre in Malaysia with their young children, a group of Filipino women spoke out about the horrific conditions they experienced.
According to a statement on the website of advocacy group Migrante International, the women spent weeks in fear and torment and were relieved to be finally back home and be reunited with their loved ones.
The four children with them were reportedly suffering from exhaustion and the families had had almost all of their belongings seized by wardens and immigration officers at Bukit Jalil.
Their return to the Philippines was aided by volunteers and staff members from Migrante International and Churches Witnessing with Migrants (CWWM).
The organisations worked closely with Tenaganita, a migrant support group based in Malaysia, which took up the case of the detained mothers and toddlers.
Like Migrante International, Tenaganita is an active member of the International Migrants Alliance or IMA.
On returning to the Philippines, the mothers recounted their two-week ordeal at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Centre.
Ralyn (not her real name) told how detainees were fed with “stale and burnt food good for swines”, and subjected to random inspections, sometimes five minutes apart.
Detainees were made to lie down on the hard cold floor of filthy and cramped cells, and nobody was allowed to use any sleeping mats.
Immigration detainees had only one set of clothes which they had to wash and wear every other day.
“We wore the same clothes that we had been wearing on the night we were arrested,” said another detainee.
“Our rights as humans were violated! The female wardens acted as if they are not mothers themselves. They were vile and mean, treated us like animals. All the children always get terrified when they’re around,” Ralyn said.
‘Made to stand the whole day’
Non-married or single detainees are constantly in handcuffs and any detainee inside the facility who is deemed by immigration wardens as misbehaving is dealt with severely.
The mothers recalled how a female detainee from Kenya who was showing signs of psychosis was tied to the wall with both hands and was made to stand the whole day.
In the wake of allegations, the Immigration Department announced that it would give priority to investigations involving foreign children effective immediately.
“In the past, (investigation) was according to the queue as operations were carried out daily. After this, if there are any detention involving children, we will immediately investigate without waiting for the queue…,” said director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
Khairul said there are currently 363 foreign children aged under 12 years detained at detention depots nationwide.
Malaysiakini is attempting to contact the Immigration Department for a response to the allegations. - Mkini
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