Hamzah: 104 detention depot escapees still at large

 

A total of 104 people who escaped from the Sungai Bakap Immigration Detention Depot two days ago are still at large, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said.

As of 7pm yesterday, 424 of the 528 detainees have been re-arrested.

Hamzah said the group had been detained for over two years because the deportation process could not be done as the Myanmar government was not willing to accept them and does not recognise their citizenship status.

"So, where can they be deported to? This is a problem for us," he told reporters in Sepang, Selangor, according to Bernama.

The detainees are believed to be mostly from the Rohingya community who fled to Malaysia two years ago.

Six of them, including women and children, were killed when they attempted to cross the North-South Expressway.

Meanwhile, Kedah Criminal Investigation Department chief G Suresh Kumar said there was a possibility that the detainees would turn themselves in because they have no food.

He noted that while 528 detainees fled the facility, around 100 chose to stay put. Suresh Kumar spoke to reporters after visiting the detention facility, according to Bernama.

Critics have argued that the government should not detain bona fide refugees indefinitely and instead absorb them into the workforce.

However, Malaysian law does not recognise refugees and Malaysia is also not a signatory to international treaties on refugees. - Mkini