A total of 37,313 foreign nationals have been arrested over the past nine months during a sustained, massive crackdown against undocumented illegal immigrants across Malaysia. The country's Immigration Department detained them in 10,374 separate operations conducted between January 1 and September 29 of this year. During this period, the documents of 137,603 individuals were scrutinized.

Simultaneously, 1,809 employers—1,692 of whom are Malaysian citizens—were arrested for the offenses of hiring and harboring illegal immigrants. The country's Home Minister, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, confirmed this information in a message posted on social media on Sunday (October 4).

The Home Minister stated that this coordinated operation is part of the ministry's routine law enforcement program. To safeguard the nation's borders and sovereignty, the authorities are targeting not only undocumented workers but also the unscrupulous employers and syndicates that facilitate their employment.

Citing statistics, he noted a sharp rise in the number of employers arrested for hiring illegal immigrants over recent years. The figure stood at 346 in 2023, 1,859 in 2024, and 2,202 in 2025; in the first nine months of the current year alone, 1,809 employers have been brought to justice.

He further clarified that his ministry has completely moved away from the policy of conducting performative "seasonal raids" following specific incidents. Moving forward, the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department will conduct these operations continuously on a daily basis. He also issued a directive requiring strict adherence to all legal regulations regarding the stay of foreign nationals in Malaysia. While warning of strict legal action against those involved in fraud, illegal entry, or overstaying their visas, the Home Minister urged citizens not to shelter or harbor illegal immigrants under any circumstances.