Malaysia has launched another crackdown on Filipinos living in contested Sabah as the territory’s Immigration Department repatriated 180 undocumented Filipinos.

The group, comprising 131 adults, 46 children, and a seven-month-old infant, was sent back to the Philippines through the Lahad Datu Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security station.

They arrived at Bongao Port in Tawi-Tawi under the care of their legal guardians, according to Sabah Immigration Department Director Datuk Sharifah Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof.

Similarly, on 14 December, 180 Filipinos, consisting 145 adults and 35 children, were deported via the same route.

The deportation program operates on a self-financing model, with detainees covering the cost of their return.

P4.8k repatriation fee

Adults were charged RM 375 (approximately P4,800), while children aged 5 to 13 paid RM 210 (P2,709). The return of children under four was free of charge.

Prior to their deportation, the individuals served prison sentences for immigration-related offenses.

To date, 5,993 Filipinos were deported by sea in 2024, contributing to the total of 8,650 foreign nationals expelled by Malaysia this year.