Speaking to FMT, North-South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira accused the minister of trivialising a tragedy, Irene Xavier of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor said he was “heartless” in his reaction and Alex Ong of Migrant CARE asked whether he understood the human rights violations against immigration detainees.

Speaking in Putrajaya yesterday, Hamzah downplayed reports of deaths in immigration centres, saying that people should not be too quick to point fingers at the authorities.

He said: “If we detain someone who commits a crime and we put him in a depot and he dies, who should we blame? Sometimes people die even while walking. They don’t even have to be in a depot. So this should not be an issue.”

Pereira said Hamzah should study the autopsy reports and the coroner’s findings before “brushing these deaths aside.”

He added: “He should be working with civil societies to handle the problem.

“He should also look into whether these detainees were victims of trafficking or smuggling and whether they had access to legal representation when they were arrested.”

Pereira also said it might be time to appoint a royal commission to inquire into abuses allegedly occurring at immigration centres.

Xavier said it was wrong to regard immigration offences as criminal offences.

“Until the immigration department becomes more accountable for the detainees, we will continue to see deaths that can be prevented,” she added.

Ong said he wondered whether Hamzah understood that there was a human rights issue involved.

“These detainees have the right to be treated humanely,” he said.

He urged Hamzah to visit immigration centres to see that detainees were suffering from overcrowding and a lack of medical care.