30th May 2024: Comment by Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist, on ongoing migrant worker management crisis in Malaysia and at KLIA airport today, Bangladeshi workers at high risk of modern slavery
Malaysia’s International KLIA airport is completely overrun today by mostly low skilled and highly vulnerable migrant workers. These workers, many whom are from Bangladesh, are arriving into Malaysia through all legal channels last minute, including from far flung transit destinations across the world like Dubai, Colombo, Hong Kong and Bangkok. They are coming in having had to pay higher flight costs than ever before, in advance of a 31st May 2024 government imposed migration management deadline on entry. This deadline coincides with the main BESTINET/FCWMS controversial migrant worker management systems contract expiry.
Surely a significant proportion of these workers are victims of a criminal syndicate trafficking Bangaldeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia, whose average costs to enter the country have increased recently up to US$6000 per person.
Many of these workers are at high risk of modern slavery and will surely be arriving to bogus employers on bogus quotas with no jobs, facilitated by corrupt government officials, agencies and recruitment intermediaries. Malaysia’s migrant management system has clearly broken down now. Impunity, corruption and no rule of law. The victims are increasing, as are the modern slavery risks.
Meanwhile, Andy Hall, an independent migrant worker right specialist, has raised serious concerns about the welfare of these workers and whether they have jobs or not.
‘Surely a significant proportion of these workers are victims of a criminal syndicate trafficking Bangaldeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia, whose average costs to enter the country have increased recently up to US$6000 per person. Many of these workers are at high risk of modern slavery and will surely be arriving to bogus employers on bogus quotas with no jobs, facilitated by corrupt government officials, agencies and recruitment intermediaries.’
‘Malaysia’s migrant management system has clearly broken down now. Impunity, corruption and no rule of law. The victims are increasing, as are the modern slavery risks.’
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30th May 2024: ‘Congestion’ at KL airport as employers scramble to bring in thousands of migrant workers before deadline
Original Source: CNA by Aqil Haziq Mahmud – 30th May 2024
Lumpur International Airport saw up to 4,500 migrant workers arriving on May 27, about four to nine times the usual number.
Videos circulating on social media showed crowds of migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is seeing four to nine times more migrant worker arrivals as employers rush to bring them in before a Friday (May 31) deadline.
Videos circulating on social media show throngs of migrant workers in the gate area of the airport’s two terminals, some of them sitting and lying on the floor.
Malaysia’s Immigration Department said in a statement on Thursday that since May 22, 2,500 migrant workers have arrived each day, with this figure increasing to between 4,000 and 4,500 on Monday.
This is compared to the usual 500 to 1,000 daily arrivals of these migrant workers prior, the department said.
It also warned that it expects the number to increase until Friday, based on information received from airlines that had added more flights into the country “to meet demands”.
Related:
Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake
‘Limit their numbers’: Malaysia’s scammed, jobless migrant workers problem highlights its foreign labour dependence
The department attributed this increase to eleventh hour efforts by employers to bring in foreign workers before the Friday deadline, which the government had brought forward in line with a decision to cancel employers’ quotas for migrant workers who have not obtained entry visas with reference after Mar 31.
On Mar 8, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this would enable the government to accurately measure the need for foreign manpower in the country, before considering the need to open up new quotas for the intake of more foreign workers, local media reported.
Industry players and activists criticised the move, saying that the visa application took months to process and that the prospect of missing the deadline could force employers to cut corners in bringing in already vulnerable migrant workers.
Since last year, thousands of migrants, mostly from Bangladesh and Nepal, have been left in limbo after arriving in Malaysia, where they were told that jobs promised to them in exchange for steep recruitment fees were no longer available.
But Mr Saifuddin resisted calls to reverse the decision and stick with the original Sep 30 deadline, citing reasons of national security.
The number of foreign workers, based on approved quotas so far, could already hit the government-set limit by May 31, he said then.
According to local media reports, there are some 2.17 million foreign workers already at work in Malaysia.
The immigration department said on Thursday that all migrant workers arriving in Malaysia need to be vetted and undergo health check-ups at KLIA.
“We urge employers to give their full cooperation by being present to settle the immigration process for their workers, which will reduce congestion in the arrival halls,” it added.
The department said it is working with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, which manages KLIA, to take “immediate steps” in ensuring the comfort of other passengers.
This includes adding immigration counters and officers to speed up the vetting and validation process and manage the huge crowds, as well as providing food and water for the migrant workers in the airport.
“The department will continue to monitor and improve the situation,” it said.
30th May 2024: Employers rushing to bring in foreign workers before June 1 deadline
Original Source: FMT by FMT Reporters – 30th May 2024
Immigration director-general Ruslin Jusoh says KLIA Terminal 1 and 2 usually receive 500 to 1,000 foreign workers daily, but the number reached 4,500 on May 27.
PETALING JAYA: The large number of foreign workers arriving at KLIA Terminal 1 and 2 is due to employers rushing to bring them into the country before the June 1 deadline, says immigration director-general Ruslin Jusoh.
On March 1, the home ministry announced that unused quotas for foreign workers would be cancelled on June 1 as it wanted to free up quotas for the hiring of foreign workers – which was frozen in March last year – by cancelling allocations given that were not used up as of May 31.
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Responding to a viral video on the large number of foreign workers at KLIA Terminal 1, Ruslin attributed this to employers bringing in foreign workers “at the last minute” before May 31.
Ruslin explained that while KLIA Terminal 1 and 2 usually receive 500 to 1,000 foreign workers daily, the number increased to 2,500 on May 22 and reached between 4,000 and 4,500 on May 27.null
“The immigration department expects the number of arrivals to continue increasing until tomorrow. This is based on information from airlines that they will increase the frequency of flights to meet demand,” he said in a statement.
Ruslin said the immigration department is working with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to manage congestion and ensure the comfort of KLIA’s passengers.
Apart from opening more counters to expedite the screening and verification of foreign workers, Ruslin said the immigration department has also increased the number of immigration officers at KLIA Terminal 1 and 2 to manage the influx.
Ruslin also said the foreign workers are being provided food and beverages.
He said the immigration department said it will continue to monitor the influx of foreign workers and urged employers to cooperate by expediting the immigration screening process for their workers. This is to reduce congestion at arrival halls.
30th May 2024: Last-minute recruitment cause of high foreign worker arrivals at KLIA and KLIA 2, says Immigration DG
Original Source: The Star by Farik Zolekpli – 30th May 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The recent high arrivals of foreign workers at KLIA and KLIA2 were due to last-minute recruitment by employers as May 31 looms, says Datuk Ruslin Jusoh.
The Immigration Department director-general said such actions occurred following the government’s decision to set May 31 as the deadline for employers to bring in foreign workers.
“Furthermore, each foreign worker who enters Malaysia has to go through a review and confirmation of health checks at the airports.
“Normally, about 500 to 1,000 foreign workers would arrive (in the country) daily. However, the number has increased to 2,500 a day on May 22 and between 4,000 to 4,500 daily on May 27,” he said in a statement on Thursday (May 30).
The department expects the number of foreign worker arrivals to continue to spike until May 31 based on information from airlines, who have increased their flights to meet the demand, Ruslin said.
“The department and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad have taken immediate measures to manage the congestion to ensure the comfort of other passengers at the airports,” he added.
Ruslin said among the measures that will be implemented are increasing the number of counters to expedite the review and confirmation process and increasing the number of Immigration personnel to manage the arrivals of many foreign workers.
“We will also prepare sufficient food and drinks for the foreign workers at the terminals.
“The department will continue to monitor and improve the situation when the need arises.
“We urge employers to give their full cooperation by being at the airports promptly to settle the immigration inspection process for their foreign workers and thus lessening the congestion at the arrival halls,” he said.
30th May 2023: Malaysakini – ‘Migrants influx at KLIA due to employers chasing deadline’
Original Source: Malaysakini by Ili Aqilah – 30th May 2024
- UPDATED 6.43PM | Added comments from rights groups Tenaganita and North-South Initiative.
The influx of migrants at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is due to local employers rushing to meet tomorrow’s deadline to bring in workers.
In a statement, Immigration Department director Ruslin Jusoh noted that the incoming migrant workers would also have to be subjected to checks and health screening at the airport upon arrival.
“Under normal circumstances, the daily number of migrant workers’ arrival is between 500 and 1,000 people. The arrival number increased to up to 2,500 people on May 22 and by May 27, it was between 4,000 and 4,500 individuals daily.
“The department expects the number to increase further until May 31, based on airlines increasing their flight frequencies to cope with the demand,” he said.
To cope with the influx, Ruslin said that it was working with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad to implement several steps, including increasing the number of counters to expedite the checking and verification process and adding more immigration officers to manage the large influx of migrant workers.
In addition, the migrants at the terminal are also provided with food and drinks while they are at the terminal, the department assured.
In March, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said his ministry would not extend the May 31 deadline for hiring migrant workers through the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0
Ruslin added that his team would continue to monitor and improve the situation and prompt employers to cooperate by promptly attending to the immigration screening process for their employees, which would further reduce congestion at the arrival hall.
‘Shocking situation’
Meanwhile, Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das said their consultant had visited KLIA earlier and was shocked by the situation.
She told Malaysiakini that many migrant workers arrived without any information about their employment status, which has been a recurring issue in recent years.
Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das
“Based on our findings, many of these workers do not have immediate employment or employers ready for them.
“Our consultant, Aziz Abdul Ismail, told us that almost all of them might be in debt bondage,” she said, adding all of them are from Bangladesh.
Glorene also said many of the migrant workers have not passed the immigration gate and are still waiting for their employers and agents to assist them.
“This is precisely why Malaysia must develop and implement a comprehensive national policy to regulate the recruitment, placement and employment of migrants,” she emphasised.
Meanwhile, Adrian Pereira, executive director of North-South Initiative, called the influx “abnormal” and questioned what would happen to the workers if their employers did not come to get them.
As some workers may have already paid recruitment fees to agents and bogus employers, Adrian suspected that the influx could indicate forced labour and human trafficking.
“We have never seen such a scene like this before. The people who have money now will try to bring in as many workers as they can, as fast as they can. But what happens to the workers if they don’t have jobs?” he asked.
Background Reading
Daily Star 31 May 2024 – Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh
31st May 2024: Govt reaffirms commitment to protect migrant workers’ rights to UN
31st May 2024: The closure of the labor market in Malaysia has shattered the dreams of 31,000 workers
Daily Star 30th May 2024: Manpower syndicates beyond Dhaka-KL control
Prothomalo 30th May 2024 – Malaysia labour market: Four MPs’ business booms after joining ‘syndicate’
CNA 30th May 2024: ‘Congestion’ at KL airport as employers scramble to bring in thousands of migrant workers before deadline
MALAYSIAKINI 30th May 2023: ‘Migrants influx at KLIA due to employers chasing deadline’
30th May 2024 Benar News: Malaysia’s labor market closed – Migrant workers flock to airports in all countries
29th May Daily Star: Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia – Hiring begins with bribery (UN independent experts say Bangladeshi workers pay up to 8 times for migration alone due to corruption of Malaysia ministries, Bangladesh mission and syndicates)
29th May Daily Star: Airfare to Malaysia surges fivefold
FMT 28th May 2024: Malaysia yet to respond to UN concerns on alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant victims for forced labour in the country(with my full statement included)
30th May Star: Cyclone smashes Bangladeshi workers’ hopes, extension requested
Channel News Asia 25th May 2024: Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers through controversial BESTINET process faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake
20th May 2024 FMT: Duped Bangladeshi workers won’t impact Malaysia’s US Human trafficking report ranking, says HR Minister Sim
Malay Mail 17th May 2024: Pengerang employer to face Labour Court in Malaysia after failing for months to pay Bangladeshi workers’ wages over RM1m (government statements and my comments included – months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)
16th May 2024: Firm that left over 700 Bangladeshi workers to dry in Pengerang facing possible prosecution (months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)
14th May 2024: FMT – Activists warn of US trafficking report downgrade for Malaysia amid UN criticism
9th May 2024: Study: 96% of Bangladeshi workers going to Malaysia fall into recruitment debt– The study also said that 82% had two or more loans and 73% of workers spent at least 50% to 100% of their monthly salary to repay recruitment debts
4th May 2024: UN agencies concerned over Bangladeshi workers stranded in Malaysia – Joint Statement of ILO, IOM and UNODC on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia
24th April 2024: Address plight of duped Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia in response to UN warning, govt told (more on the ongoing saga of an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia)
FMT 19th April 2024: UN experts sound alarm over plight of duped Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia
For more on Andy Hall’s complaint to the OHCHR see 30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council
See Daily Star 23rd Apr 2024: Bangladesh Plight of Migrant Workers – Bangladesh, Malaysia working group meeting likely in May
See Daily Star Editorial 23rd Apr 2024: When even legal migrants suffer – Workers migrating to Malaysia legally deserve better protection
Business Standard 23rd April 2024: Expat Ministry reviews UN complaints on Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia
Prothomalo 23rd April 2024: Bangladesh – Ministry reviewing allegations over Malaysia labour market
BenarNews Malay Language: Pakar PBB gesa Malaysia tangani layanan buruk diterima pekerja Bangladesh (UN expert urges Malaysia to handle bad treatment received by Bangladeshi workers)
Daily Star 19th Apr 2024: UN experts express dismay over situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia
FMT 19th Apr 2024: PSM, news portal set aside order to stop debate on migrant workers’ plight
Daily Star Editorial 17th April 2024: Save our migrants in Malaysia (more on the crisis caused by an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)
9th April 2024 The Star – Bangladeshi victims of criminal syndicate trafficking worked for forced labour in Malaysia: ‘Cops after workers, not rogue employers’
7th April 2024: SCMP – As Malaysia’s door closes on low-paid migrant workers, companies scramble for staff (and a systemically corrupt migration management and recruitment policy, devoid of the rule of law and leading to impunity and gross exploitation, is revealed)
6th April 2024 Daily Star: A hostel of nightmares for Bangladeshi migrants allegedly trafficked by criminal syndicate for forced labour in Malaysia (and Daily Star Op Ed)
Daily Star Editorial 6th Apr 2024: What will happen to migrants abandoned in Malaysia?
26th March 2024: The Star – Freeze on foreign workers hiring quota in Malaysia stays for now, says HR Minister (with estimated 200,000+ surplus foreign workforce victims facing destitution and abuse)
Daily Star 25th Mar: Malaysia employer framed Bangladeshi workers
Daily Star 24th Mar 2024: Jailed in Malaysia – 3 Bangladesh workers released
Editorial Prothomalo 24th Mar 2024: Malaysian labour market – Take action against the fraud syndicate
FMT 23rd March 2024: PSM calls on Sim to look into arrest of Bangladeshi workers
MALAYSIAKINI 23 Mar 2024: Stranded foreign workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) nabbed after labour complaints against employer
23rd March 2024 The Star: Half a million vulnerable and irregular foreign workers disappear from Malaysia’s migrant worker regularization programme as deadline looms in one week
23 Mar 2024 The Star: Verification rate lags as RTK 2.0 deadline approaches
22nd March 2024 Malay Mail: Home minister – Over RM9m in fines collected so far through migrant repatriation programme
22nd March 2024 Protomalo: Malaysian labour market set to be closed again due to syndication
20th March 2024: 93 duped/detained Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia have jobs now, says immigration DG
20th Mar 2024 Business Standard: Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia: Coalition of migration orgs demand action against recruiting agency syndicate
19th March 2024: FMT – Plantation firms wary of ‘forced labour’ concerns in hiring 200,000 surplus foreign workers/criminal syndicate victims in Malaysia, says minister – indeed he’s right, who wants to take on destitute foreign workers often with US$4-7000 in debt?
17th March 2024: FMT – Malaysia’s treatment of migrant workers utterly shameful
New Age 16th Mar 2024: Bangladeshi government must mend issues to keep Malaysia job market open
15th March 2024 SCMP: Malaysians deride minister’s idea to rebrand palm oil workers as ‘specialised harvesters’
14th March 2024: The Star – Opinion: When work in Malaysia is a con – the criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshis for forced labour in Malaysia
FMT 13th March 2024: Bangladeshi migrants file police reports after falling victim to job scam/criminal syndicate trafficking workers from Bangladesh for forced labour in Malaysia
12th March 2024: SCMP – Malaysia to slash migrant workforce amid intolerance, job scam crisis involving Bangladeshi labourers
Daily Star Editorial 10th March 2024: Migrating to a life of unemployment
Daily Star 10th Mar 2024: Distressed in Malaysia – Thousands of Bangladeshi migrants jobless, unpaid or underpaid
9th March 2024: Malay Mail – Activists warn rushed 31st March visa deadline in Malaysia could force firms to source foreign workers unethically (includes my commentary on the abrupt policy change)
9th Mar 2024 The Star: No extension of May 31 foreign worker deadline
NST 9th Mar 2024: Keep recruitment agencies in a list rather than shutting them down, govt told
See also NST 9th Mar 2024: Sourcing migrant workers takes time, ‘not like buying cattle’, employer groups tell govt
NST 8th Mar 2024: Eliminate middlemen from migrant worker recruitment process, govt told
Star 8th Mar 2024: May 31 deadline for foreign workers recruitment under recalibration programme remains, says Saifuddin
Malay Mail 8th Mar 2024: Saifuddin Nasution: No more agents for Bangladeshi worker recruitment
6th Mar 2024: Malaysian government halts foreign worker entry into the country from 31st May 2024 (final calling visa/VDN approval issuance deadline 31st March 2024) as migrant worker management crisis worsens and victims of gross exploitation, unemployment and destitution rise significantly
6th March 2024: Business Times –Sudden change in foreign worker policy by Malaysian government leaves industry in limbo
6th Mar 2024 Edge: Foreign worker intake deadline changes will leave manufacturers in the lurch, says FMM
6th Mar 2024 FMT: Industry players shocked by foreign worker policy change, says FMM
Mar 5 2024: NCCIM urges govt to review unused foreign worker quota deadline
FMT 3rd Mar 2024: Ensure ‘crooks’ do not gain from repatriation programme, says activist
Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: A chance for illegals to go home
Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: Sarawak immigration extends RTK2.0 until June
Mar 1st 2024 FMT: 600,000 foreign workers urged to take easy exit home
Mar 1st 2024 The Star: Use repatriation programme to return home, 600,000 illegals told
Feb 28th 2024 The Star: New programme lets migrants off the hook without being prosecuted
Feb 25th 2024 The Star: Businesses want foreign worker hiring freeze lifted
Jan 31st 2024 NST: Govt to implement Migrant Repatriation Programme starting March
Jan 31st 2024 The Edge: Cabinet agrees to extend freeze on hiring of foreign workers, says home minister
31st Jan 2024 FMT: Migrant repatriation programme set for March 1
31st Jan 2024 The Star: Migration Repatriation Programme to commence on March 1, says Home Ministry
FMT 6th Jan 2024: 171 duped migrant workers deserve compensation, govt told (includes my full statement)
5th Jan 2024: New Strait Times – MCA: Don’t just fine employers, hold ministry accountable as well for unemployed foreign workers
FMT 30th Dec 2023: Migrants being duped into Malaysia because of govt’s failure to curb criminal trafficking syndicates and organised crime network, says activist Andy Hall
30th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – Recruitment agencies accused of deception as Bangladeshi victims speak out on exploitation and fear
29th Dec 2023: Malay Mail – Set up probe on exploitation of migrant workers and new ministry to manage their affairs, Suhakam tells Putrajaya
28th Dec 2023: FMT – Malaysia has entered ‘slave labour’ territory, says ex-MP – Charles Santiago calls for specific set-ups to manage migrant workers
27th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – MTUC demand govt, MACC probe into corrupt recruitment practices of foreign workers
26th Dec 2023: FMT – High recruitment fees make greedy agents bring in workers, says group
25th Dec 2023: FMT – Probe recruitment agents, MACC told after arrest of Bangladeshis
22nd Nov 2023: MALAYSIAKINI – Full probe of migrant worker syndicate, Malaysian HR Minister Sivakumar says
9th Nov 2023: Malaysia – The State of the Nation: Flaws of foreign worker system laid bare in declassified report
30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council
20th Oct 2023 Malaysiakini: Long-awaited foreign worker management report declassified in Malaysia (my comments added)
19th Oct 2023: Malaysia facing huge excess of 1/4 million migrant laborers
21st Sep 2023: Malaysian government has 15 source countries for foreign workers – Comments by Andy Hall
20th Sep 2023: Rate of abused Bangladeshi workers’ entry into Malaysia worrying, says migrant rights activist Andy Hall
Aljazeera News TV 10th July 2023 – Migrants in Malaysia: Hundreds left stranded in recruitment scam
Reuters 11th Apr 2023: In Malaysia, migrants say they are in limbo after promised jobs fall through
25th April 2023 Sarawak Post: Malaysia And Modern Slavery – ‘PM Must Take Control’
23rd April 2023: REUTERS: Malaysia probes cases of migrant workers left jobless, without passports (with background summary and articles included in my blog post)
17th April 2023 Daily Star: Approval For Labour Recruitment – Malaysia’s transparency questioned by Bangladesh
FMT 13th April 2023: Stranded Bangladeshis endure ‘hell’ in Malaysia – The group of 35 now wants to go home after being left without jobs for months
11th Mar 2023 MALAYSIAKINI: Malaysian HR Minister Sivakumar – Zero checks for migrant quota approvals only until March 2023
13th Feb 2023: My Perspective published by FMT – ‘Time to address corruption in Malaysia’s migrant worker management’
10th Jan 2023: ‘Bangladeshi recruitment cartels’ grip must end’ – Govt now acting on billion-ringgit ‘human trafficking syndicates’
1st Oct 2022 Malay Mail: PM Anwar says Putrajaya to Ease Rules on Hiring Migrant Workers
7th July 2022 The Vibes: How Bestinet courted controversy over migrant worker recruitment – MACC’s raid on IT company once again casts spotlight on alleged hiring monopoly
June 2022 The Star: Human Traffickers made RM2 billion through syndicate smuggling in over 100,000 workers from Bangladesh
