Malaysia arrests over 37,000 illegal immigrants in 9 months

37,313 foreign nationals have been arrested in 9 months in eighty-six raids in Malaysia.

The country's immigration department detained them in 10,374 separate operations conducted from January 1 to September 29 this year. During this period, a total of 137,603 people's documents were checked.

At the same time, 1,809 employers have also been arrested for recruiting and harboring illegal immigrants. Of them, 1,692 are Malaysian citizens. The country's Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed this information in a message on social media on Sunday (October 4).

He said the coordinated operation is being carried out as part of the Ministry of Home Affairs' regular law enforcement program. To protect the country's borders and sovereignty, not only undocumented workers but also unscrupulous employers and syndicates that facilitate them are being equally targeted.

Citing statistics, Saifuddin noted that the number of employers arrested for hiring illegal immigrants has increased significantly in recent years. In 2023, this number was 346, in 2024 it increased to 1,859, and in 2025 it stood at 2,202. And in the first 9 months of this year alone, 1,809 employers have been brought under the law.

He further clarified that his ministry has moved away from the policy of conducting 'seasonal operations' that are shown to the public after an incident occurs or suddenly comes into discussion. From now on, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Immigration Department will conduct these operations on a daily basis without interruption.

Foreign nationals have been instructed to strictly comply with all legal regulations when entering Malaysia. He warned of strict legal action against those who commit fraud, illegally enter or stay after their visas expire. At the same time, the Home Minister urged his countrymen not to shelter or patronize illegal immigrants in any way.