"Malaysia began expelling 150 Indonesian illegal migrant workers on Thursday night from a total of 147," head of the Tanjungpinang immigration office Surya Pranata said here Friday.
He said the TKIs expelled from Malaysia included 227 males.
"Among them were two babies, one of which was a girl," he said.
In 2010, Surya said, 22,182 illegal TKIs including children, had been expelled from Malaysia.
"The number was small since 2006," he added.
Malaysia started expelling illegal TKIs and their children since 2003 to Tanjungpinang, before being sent to their respective hometowns.
In 2003, Malaysia had expelled 16,168 people, 91,422 in 2004, 11,863 in 2005, 23,864 in 2006, 34,652 in 2007, 35,143 in 2008, and 32,710 in 2009.
"Of the total from 2003 to 2010, Malaysia expelled 227,944 illegal TKI and their children, almost the same number of the population of Tanjungpinang," he said.
"Most of them had been sent him to Java by Pelni from Kijang, Bintan, and partly to Dumai for those from Sumatra," he said.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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