Eighty nine illegal workers including 46 Nepalis have been arrested in the crackdown in the past one-and-half weeks. The Malaysian government had launched the recent crackdown since January 21 this year.

Local media reported that officials of Malaysian immigration raided shops, factories and restaurants in Rawang, Butterworth and Georgetown in Penang and arrested them. The arrestees, who are from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Cambodia and Pakistan, are said to have been kept in various detention centers and prisons for investigation.

The government has warned recruiting companies not to offer jobs to illegal workers. According to Nepali Embassy in Malaysia, the flow of illegal Nepali workers visiting the embassy to return home is increasing. Such illegal workers should get exit permit from the Malaysian immigration after paying certain amounts and can only return to their home countries.

An employee of the embassy said that 160 illegal Nepali workers visit the immigration to get exit permit to return home every week. The embassy said that scores of illegal Nepali workers were arrested in the crackdown so far.

According to the embassy data, 646 Nepali workers have been kept in various detention centers as of January and they are waiting to return home. Likewise, 399 Nepali workers are currently serving jail terms in the country.