UNDOCUMENTED migrants are not “acceptable” casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Lawyers for Liberty (LfL) today.

It said ineffective governance has led to these foreigners being vilified instead of the agents or employers who exploit them.

“The government must acknowledge that many of these undocumented migrants are victims of those exploiting ineffective government policies.

“Infection among migrants in detention centres must not be conceived as an ‘acceptable casualty’ in our fight against the pandemic.

“Healthcare is a basic right that should be a top priority during these trying times.”

LfL said foreign workers are brought in by local private agents, and only turn “illegal” due to weaknesses in the system.

“And yet, it is the migrants who are vilified instead of the agents or employers who exploit them. They are the root cause of the problem, and the government must tackle that head-on instead of relying on cheap jingoistic rhetoric.”

The group noted with “grave concern” Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s remarks yesterday, in which he said Putrajaya will not “bow down” to demands to protect migrants’ rights, as its priority is keeping Malaysians safe from the coronavirus.

LfL urged the government to stop its “unwarranted attack” on the migrant community, and called for those without papers to be granted temporary amnesty and access to healthcare during the virus crisis.

“It is startling that the government believes the mass incarceration of undocumented migrants during the movement-control order will protect Malaysians from the pandemic.

“Any increase in cases will be a burden to our own healthcare system, and the spread of Covid-19 even among migrants in detention centres may increase the risk of infection to immigration officers, staff and front-line workers who have to deal with those infected.”

Continuing the mass detention of migrants will exacerbate the Covid-19 problem at overcrowded depots, said the statement.

“Treatment can be given without detaining migrants en masse, which puts otherwise healthy migrants at risk of infection. It is the humane thing to do.”

The Health Ministry said it expects a spike in infections in the next few days as it awaits Covid-19 test results of detainees held at three Immigration Department detention centres. So far, 227 cases have been detected at these centres.

A total of 1,536 samples have been taken at the Bukit Jalil facility, with 126 returning positive.

Of the 1,757 samples taken at the Semenyih centre, 65 people tested positive, with one of them being a member of the administrative staff.

At the Sepang depot, 1,449 samples have been taken, with 36 returning positive. – May 27, 2020.