The Sabah Immigration Department has denied claims circulating on social media alleging severe overcrowding at Immigration Detention Depots (DTI) in the state, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of several Filipino detainees.
Sabah Immigration director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the allegations were false, baseless and misleading.
She said the images shared online did not refer to any Immigration Detention Depot under the supervision of Sabah Immigration.
“All Filipino detainees placed at Sabah Immigration Detention Depots are in good condition while awaiting the repatriation process to their home country.
“Throughout their detention period, they are provided with appropriate care and protection in accordance with existing laws and standard operating procedures,” she said in a statement.
Sitti Saleha said detainees were also provided with basic necessities, including meals prepared according to scheduled menus and nutritional requirements approved by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
She explained that the repatriation process for Filipino detainees through the sea route from Sandakan to Zamboanga, which was previously the main route for returning detainees, has been suspended by Philippine authorities since February.
The suspension had affected the smooth process of sending detainees back to their country of origin.
However, she said Sabah Immigration has continued repatriation efforts by using alternative routes, including flights from Kota Kinabalu to Manila and sea transportation from Lahad Datu to Bongao.
She added that the use of these alternative routes depends on the agreement of detainees’ families to bear the travel costs involved.
Sabah Immigration urged the public not to spread unverified information and to rely on official sources regarding matters involving immigration detention and repatriation operations.
