Children at immigration depot will be shifted soon, says home minister

The home ministry says it intends to shift the children detained at the Immigration Detention Depot and place them in the care of NGOs that specialise in the welfare of children.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he had identified the profile of the children, their numbers and where they are being detained.
 
"Very soon, I will bring them out. I have been dealing with NGOs that are involved in providing welfare services to children," he told reporters in Putrajaya last night.

On the matter of a Bangladeshi child who was found in a container at West Port, Port Klang, on Jan 17, Saifuddin said the child would be sent home next week.

The eight-year-old from Chittagong, Bangladesh, had wandered into a container and was locked inside for six days before being spotted by Malaysian authorities. The child was treated at Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang and is currently under the care of an NGO.

"The home ministry has managed to locate the child's family and I have informed my counterpart in Bangladesh that the child will be sent back. All of the documentation proceses at the embassy have also been done," he said.

Asked about Malaysia’s Tier 3 ranking in the Trafficking in Persons Report released by the US State Department (US Tip Report) 2021 for not fully meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking and not making significant efforts to do so, Saifuddin said he had contacted the US embassy to explain the steps and initiatives taken by Malaysia.

He said the government had amended its anti-trafficking law and the Employment Act to include a more detailed definition of forced labour.

"There was an opportunity to engage with the US ambassador, and I explained the initiatives that Malaysia has taken because it involves a number of elements that are very clear, like detention, investigation and prosecution.  
               
"Our efforts to overcome human trafficking are measured through the three components. We give serious attention because the position has disadvantages to the country, especially when products from our country are barred from entering the US," he said.