New immigration rules sow chaos at Kuala Lumpur airport

Thousands are camped at the airport, especially from Bangladesh and Nepal, waiting. The old quota system has been cancelled. Some 15 countries with specific agreements with Malaysia are involved. Foreigners are expected to cover about 15 per cent of the labour force by next year.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – New immigration rules have come into effect today in Malaysia, geared towards meeting the country’s developmental and labour needs. As a result, recruitment agencies and businesses will have less leeway in hiring foreign workers.

The new measures include a temporary freeze on foreign worker entries as of 1 June under the old quota system. This explains the rush of arrivals at the capital's airport ahead of tomorrow’s deadline, with special flights, especially from Bangladesh and Nepal, and thousands waiting at the airport.

Under the new rules, the government will be able set manpower levels before making any decision to expand existing quotas, according to Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The new rules apply to migrants from 15 countries with which Malaysia has signed specific agreements. He goal is to cover 15 per cent of its total workforce in 2025.

The business community and migrant advocacy groups have criticised the new policy, concerned that too many restrictions will just add more red tape to the process.

Already under the old rules, thousands of workers were unable to get an entry visa for lack of proper documentation or discovered upon arrival that they had exceeded the quota.

In March, when the authorities decided to change course, some 2.17 million immigrants were present in the country, this according to official figures.

The new measures include a commitment to improve facilities for immigrants at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with more desks to deal with bureaucratic procedures.

Water and food will also be provided given the long waits and medical examination requirements at the airport.

Bangladeshi authorities have expressed concern about the new rules. Since they signed a new agreement with their Malaysian counterparts in 2020, some 400,000 Bangladeshis have moved to the Southeast Asian country, the second in the world for the number of Bangladeshi migrants.

(Photo: Human Rights Watch)

• malaysia
• bangladesh
• nepal
• migrants
• rules
• procedures
• bilateral agreements