A raid targeting illegal migrant workers in Malayia’s Shah Alam and Seremban cities saw 86 Myanmar citizens detained by the immigration department while one Myanmar woman was fatally struck by a train while fleeing arrest.
Malaysian authorities raided factories in Seremban on Saturday evening, prompting Myanmar workers to flee. A 35-year-old Myanmar woman from Bago’s Intagaw Township was hit and killed by a train, a migrant assistance organization in Malaysia told The Irrawaddy.
“Undocumented workers fled when Malaysian immigration officials raided factories in Seremban between 6 pm and 7 pm on October 5. Crossing a railroad, she was hit by a train that cut her body in two. We still don’t have details about her identity. Others were also injured when they fell while climbing down pipes to escape arrest.”
The Immigration Department said 602 undocumented migrants had been detained since the operation was launched on Saturday.
It said 86 are from Myanmar, while the rest came from Bangladesh (204), Nepal (115), Indonesia (81), India (60), Pakistan (30), Sri Lanka (10), and Algeria (one).
“Under Malaysian law, undocumented migrants are subject to between three and six months of detention,” said Ko Moe, a volunteer helping Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia.
“If lucky, they get just one month. So my advice is, don’t run when you can’t escape. The immigration crackdown will continue for another two months. Run if you can, but don’t risk your life.”
Myanmar detainees face three months in Malaysia Immigration Department cells before they are transferred to detention camps for citizenship verification and then deported to Myanmar, according to labor organizations in Malaysia.
Organizations assisting Myanmar migrants in Malaysia have advised them to keep a low profile during the crackdown.
One Myanmar national working in Malaysia said: “[Malaysian authorities] are making arrests [targeting undocumented migrant workers] in many places including downtown areas, alleys and forests across Malaysia. They are arresting people round the clock during the operation.”
The previous crackdown in December saw over 1,000 undocumented Myanmar migrant workers arrested.
Post-pandemic unemployment coupled with economic turmoil since the 2021 coup have forced many young Myanmar citizens to leave the country in search of work. Others have chosen to flee the country after the junta introduced conscription in February this year.
Though less popular than it used to be, Malaysia remains one of their top choices.
Of the estimated 800,000 Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia, about 300,000 are undocumented, according to local migrant assistance organizations.
