Friday, August 6, 2010

Prisons Officers again in-charge of Immigration Detention Centres

Detention depots proposed for illegal immigrants


PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry will propose the setting up of a Depot Department to ensure better management of depots for illegal immigrants.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said a special committee to enhance the management of depots would come up with a proposal paper and submit it to minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein in three months.

He said the setting up of the department would also allow depots to be managed in a more systematic and integrated manner with the involvement of several departments and agencies, rather than just the Immigration department.

“The committee has proposed several measures to boost security and management including having the 13 depots housing illegal immigrants jointly managed by the Immigration and Prisons departments as well as Rela,” he told reporters yesterday.

Mahmood said to boost security and efficiency when responding to “emergencies”, the committee which met again yesterday had decided that a police officer be stationed 24 hours at the facilities, adding 39 prisons officers and 210 Rela members have been assigned to join some 1,000 immigration officers at the depots.

Under the new system, prisons officers will be in charge of security, immigration will be responsible for documentation while Rela will help out with security.

On Sunday, 20 Afghans, ran away from the detention centre in KLIA at about 3am. - Star, 6/8/2010, Detention depots proposed for illegal immigrants

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