More than 26,000 illegals deported this year, claims Sabah NSC

A total of 26,280 illegal immigrants in Sabah were deported to their country of origin between January and yesterday.

According to a statement from the Sabah National Security Council (NSC), 20,230 were Filipinos, 5,830 Indonesians and 220 nationals of other countries.

"For the same period, 9,751 people were screened and 4,981 were detained for further screening, while 3,794 were remanded," the statement said today.

Some 6,353 illegal immigrants are still being held at four temporary detention centres in the state.

Meanwhile, the Sabah NSC had arrested 204 illegal immigrants consisting of 163 Filipinos, 38 Indonesians and three Pakistanis in a two-day operation around Tawau that ended yesterday.

All of them aged between one and 60 are being detained at the Tawau Temporary Detention Centre under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.