Tanjung Pinang Immigration Office Detains 415 Illegal Immigrants

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (Antara) - The Tanjung Pinang immigration detention center in the Riau Islands province holds 415 illegal immigrants including 10 women from 13 countries. "Among the illegal immigrants 64 have the status of refugees," head of the detention house Surya Pranata said here on Thursday. Surya said 42 of the immigrants are regular immigrants to be sent bank to their respective countries after serving jail term for offending immigration law. "They are 40 from Vietnam, one from Malaysia and Myanmar each," he said. Those irregular immigrants or asylum seekers make up 373 of the immigrants including 158 from Afghanistan, 52 from Myanmar, 48 from Sri Lanka, 27 from Pakistan , one from Palestine and 24 from Bangladesh, 2 from Nepal, 2 from Iraq, 7 from Iran , 35 from Sudan 16 from Somalia and one from Vietnam . Among the irregular immigrants already having the status of refugees include 47 from Afghanistan, 10 from Myanmar, 6 from Sri Lanka and one from Palestine. "The rest are still in the process of verification by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," Surya said. The immigrants in the Tanjungpinang immigration detention house enjoy good facilities provided by IOM including healthcare, English course and other supporting facilities. (*)