KUALA LUMPUR: There are 2.12 million active foreign workers in the country as of Feb 15, says the Home Ministry.
In a parliamentary written reply, the ministry said the active foreign workers who were registered with the Immigration Department came from various countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, and India.
The ministry said it was continuously conducting enforcement operations to avoid an increase in the number of undocumented migrant workers in the country.
The ministry was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (BN-Sembrong).
Hishammuddin, a former home minister, asked about the estimated number of undocumented migrants, refugees, or individuals without work permits who are currently residing in Malaysia.
He also asked what measures the government has taken to resolve the issue.
The ministry said the Immigration Department has identified 220 "hotspots" frequented by foreigners and has carried out operations in these areas with other enforcement agencies.
The ministry said in 2020, a total of 22,671 undocumented migrants were detained. A total of 12,462 were detained in 2021, while 22,804 and 27,739 were detained in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
"As of February 15 this year, the department has detained a total of 6,306 illegal immigrants.
The ministry said enforcement efforts are also aimed at employers of undocumented migrants as a deterrent against the employment of foreign workers without valid documents.