So far, 282,561 undocumented migrants had registered for the programme, which allowed them to be sent home voluntarily.

“These migrants comprise those staying here without documents or without valid documents or verification by the immigration,” he said.

“The process will end at the end of this month and, as usual, we will take firm action against anyone (undocumented migrants) who refused to take up this offer. Employers who hire them will also be taken to court,” he told reporters while at a gathering in Kampung Anak Kurau here today.

Hamzah, who is MP for Larut, said undocumented migrants could register to be sent home or apply to work legally through the manpower recalibration programme.

“Initially, we expected only about 200,000 people to respond, but now the number of immigrants who want to go back or wish to work again has reached 400,000.”

He said the government had received almost RM1 billion in levies, including from this programme, so far this year.

Among the conditions for joining the programme to go home are that the applicants must have valid travel documents approved by their embassies and possess flight or ferry tickets to return to their home countries.

Hamzah said controls at the Malaysia-Thai border would be tightened following Thailand’s move to legalise medical cannabis, which would make the substance more easily available in that country.