The Immigration Department has stressed that it takes “proactive measures” to ensure that deported illegal immigrants will not be able to return to Malaysia without valid reasons.

The department’s director-general Mustafar Ali said this in response to PKR treasurer-general Tan Yee Kee who urged the authorities to not only deport immigrants but to ensure that they do not return, too.

Although Tan said she appreciated the work of the authorities thus far on this issue, she added that it was more important to ensure that deported illegal immigrants do not return to Malaysia easily.

Mustafar however explained that deported immigrants can be blacklisted between one to five years based on the offences committed.

“For serious cases, the department will blacklist them for life and they will not be able to enter Malaysia,” said Mustafar in a statement today...