Illegal immigrants tend to use Malaysia as a transit point to move to a third country
KUALA LUMPUR:Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia was not considered a destination for the illegal immigrants but they tend to use the country or Indonesia as a prime route to go to other countries.
Citing an example, Najib said the authorities recently detained a group of people from Afghanistan who had entered the country illegally.
“Their actual destination was Australia. The Australian prime minister called me two weeks ago on this, expressing his appreciation for our cooperation in preventing these people from entering Australia as illegals,” he told reporters after launching the Workers Day celebration here yesterday.
In Johor Baru, an Australian refugee advocate has offered to help a Pakistani teenager move to Australia where his remaining sibling lives.
Muhamad Aqeel Karkeen Quadir Hussein, 14, is the sole survivor in a boat tragedy in the waters off Pulau Lima in Pengerang which killed his mother Zainab Quadir, his two younger siblings, Sabika, 12, and Zulqarnain, 10, and three uncles on April 27.
His father Quadir Hussein Khan Mohamad was a university professor in Pakistan who died four years ago from cancer.
Muhamad Aqeel said his only surviving family member is his 22-year-old sister Misbah Quadir who is married and living in Australia for the past 18 months.
Australian refugee advocate Kaye Bernard, who contacted The Star, said she was lobbying the Australian Government to allow the boy to live in Australia on humanitarian grounds.
“Malaysia has been identified by Australian authorities as a transit point for immigrants to get to Australia, making the crossing by boat via Indonesia,” Bernard said.
Last month, Australia sent its senior national security adviser Duncan Lewis to Malaysia and Sri Lanka for talks to combat a surge in people smuggling.
Australian Immigration Department statistics showed that its detention centres were holding 258 people who entered the country by sea and and 65 others by air.
Courtesy: The Star Online
KUALA LUMPUR:Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia was not considered a destination for the illegal immigrants but they tend to use the country or Indonesia as a prime route to go to other countries.Citing an example, Najib said the authorities recently detained a group of people from Afghanistan who had entered the country illegally.
“Their actual destination was Australia. The Australian prime minister called me two weeks ago on this, expressing his appreciation for our cooperation in preventing these people from entering Australia as illegals,” he told reporters after launching the Workers Day celebration here yesterday.
In Johor Baru, an Australian refugee advocate has offered to help a Pakistani teenager move to Australia where his remaining sibling lives.
Muhamad Aqeel Karkeen Quadir Hussein, 14, is the sole survivor in a boat tragedy in the waters off Pulau Lima in Pengerang which killed his mother Zainab Quadir, his two younger siblings, Sabika, 12, and Zulqarnain, 10, and three uncles on April 27.
His father Quadir Hussein Khan Mohamad was a university professor in Pakistan who died four years ago from cancer.
Muhamad Aqeel said his only surviving family member is his 22-year-old sister Misbah Quadir who is married and living in Australia for the past 18 months.
Australian refugee advocate Kaye Bernard, who contacted The Star, said she was lobbying the Australian Government to allow the boy to live in Australia on humanitarian grounds.
“Malaysia has been identified by Australian authorities as a transit point for immigrants to get to Australia, making the crossing by boat via Indonesia,” Bernard said.Last month, Australia sent its senior national security adviser Duncan Lewis to Malaysia and Sri Lanka for talks to combat a surge in people smuggling.
Australian Immigration Department statistics showed that its detention centres were holding 258 people who entered the country by sea and and 65 others by air.
Courtesy: The Star Online
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