THE Home Ministry is in the final stages of drafting a cabinet paper on follow-up proposals to move children currently in immigration detention centres to external shelters.

Its minister, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, also called on stakeholders to assist the government in upholding children’s rights.

This, he said, is to expedite the release of children from 19 depots nationwide.

“Yesterday (Friday), during the ministry’s breaking-of-fast function in Kedah, the prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim) asked about the progress of this process.

“I informed him that we are fine-tuning our cabinet paper, which involves discussions with various stakeholders,” said Saifuddin, during a pre-dawn press conference at the Semenyih immigration depot.

He are there are 1,030 children – 579 boys and 451 girls – in immigration custody.

Out of the total, 679 are unaccompanied by an adult while the rest were detained with either one or both parents.

Saifuddin said the idea for children to be taken out of detention, whether with cooperation from civil society groups, the Welfare Department or others, must be received on their part.

“It cannot be the sole duty of the government,” he said.

“There are many groups who voiced their concerns, so they can be involved. We are trying to see how they can be involved.”

On refugee children with no clear resettlement plans, Saifuddin said more suggestions to facilitate their release are welcomed.

This, he said, included suggestions from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. – April 15, 2023.