The Immigration Department has increased security measures at its detention depots following the escape of 11 undocumented migrants from the Tanah Merah Immigration Detention Depot in Kelantan last week.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the department would review its existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to determine whether they had been properly followed and identify areas requiring improvement.
He said immediate steps had already been taken to strengthen security controls at the facility.
“The SOP is already in place. The investigation will focus on compliance with the SOP and improvements that can be made,” he said.
Zakaria said the incidents involved two separate escapes, with one undocumented migrant fleeing from the depot a day before another 10 escaped.
He said authorities would first establish how the escapes occurred before deciding on further changes to security procedures and controls at the depot.
The Immigration Department, he added, was treating the incidents seriously and would continue strengthening security measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The latest escape occurred early on Aug 23, when 10 undocumented migrants fled the Tanah Merah depot, prompting police to launch Op Tutup to locate the escapees.
The group comprised seven Thai nationals, one Indonesian, one Bangladeshi national and one Rohingya.
Five of the escapees were subsequently recaptured in the Bechah Laut area, approximately 15km from the detention depot.
Investigations into both escape incidents are ongoing as authorities work to determine whether any weaknesses in existing procedures contributed to the breaches.
