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.
