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PhilStar/Agencies
MANILA
Undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia are encouraged to take advantage of the Malaysian government's voluntary deportation programme before the month ends.
An estimated 400,000 Filipinos do not have legal immigration status in Malaysia, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
"We appeal to our undocumented kababayan in Malaysia to take this opportunity to be able to return to their loved ones in the Philippines without jail time or fines," Philippine Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur Charles Jose said.
Jose assured the undocumented Filipinos that the embassy will assist them if they opt to go home through voluntary deportation.
The Malaysia government has implemented a crackdown against foreign nationals following the end of its two-year rehiring programme for expatriates in June. The voluntary deportation programme allows undocumented migrants to leave Malaysia without serving jail time or settling compounded penalties.
According to Jose, undocumented migrants would only have to pay a fixed discounted penalty of MYR300 and a MYR100 exit fee.
From January 2016 to June 2018, about 50,000 Filipinos have availed of the programme.
