Malaysian immigration authorities have arrested 53 Nigerians among 112 undocumented African nationals apprehended during enforcement operations conducted across the country between January and October 31, 2026.
The figures were disclosed by the Director-General of Malaysia’s Immigration Department, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, during an interview with Malaysian newspaper Utusan Malaysia.
According to the report, Nigerians recorded the highest number of arrests among the African nationals. Uganda followed with 13 arrests, Kenya had 10, while Ghana recorded eight.
Other nationalities included Somalia and Tanzania with six arrests each, Senegal with four, Algeria with three, while Burkina Faso, Togo and The Gambia recorded two arrests each. Guinea, Zimbabwe and Libya had one arrest apiece.
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Shaaban explained that most of the arrests involved foreigners who entered Malaysia or remained in the country without valid immigration permits.
He disclosed that 85 people were arrested for violating Section 6(1)(c) of Malaysia’s Immigration Act 1959/63, including 47 Nigerians.
Another 23 individuals were detained for overstaying their authorised period, while three others were arrested for violating the conditions attached to their immigration passes.
The immigration chief also confirmed that a Nigerian was arrested over alleged possession of forged documents under Section 56(1)(l) of the Act.
Additionally, an Algerian employer was arrested for allegedly employing foreign workers without valid immigration permits.
Shaaban said the enforcement operations were part of the government’s efforts to tackle illegal migration and hold employers accountable for hiring or accommodating foreigners without proper documentation.
However, the report did not disclose the identities of the Nigerians arrested or the specific locations where they were apprehended.
The development comes days after three Nigerians were reportedly arrested in southwest Delhi, India, during an immigration verification exercise over alleged possession of invalid immigration documents.
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