“If they come in to avoid being killed, of course we will follow through to ensure they are allowed into the country,” immigration director- general Mustafar Ali said.
However, he pointed out those who are entering illegally will continue to be arrested.
He said this is because there is a difference between refugees and economic migrants who come into the country seeking greener pastures.
“Economic migrants, of course, are not allowed in.”
He spoke to reporters after attending the department-level anti-corruption pledge with his staff here.
Mustafar said the department will follow government policies drawn up to tackle migrant issues.
Yesterday, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said Malaysia is willing to accept more Rohingya refugees into the country following the increasingly tense situation in Myanmar.
However, he expressed fears that some Rohingya militants would take advantage of Malaysia’s goodwill to also enter the country.
As of today, 56,000 Rohingya refugees have been issued with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards that give them the freedom to stay in the country.
Mustafar said the department will continue to arrest those who illegally enter the country.
He said those who enter the country through the 137 legal entry points will be documented.
As for the Rohingya, he explained the department was working with other enforcement agencies such as border control to look into the issue.
With regards to the 44 Rohingya detained following a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 30, against the atrocities going on in Rakhine state in Myanmar, Mustafar said that was a police matter.
Those detained may be deported if need be.
Mustafar added that as of Sept 11, the department had checked 3,272 premises and 43,426 people as part of its operations against foreign workers who had entered the country illegally.
During these checks, 11,051 illegal workers were detained. The department will also take action against 270 employers for various immigration offences.