Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) in Malaysia was flocked by thousands of migrant workers as private firms rushed to bring in foreign workers before the deadline imposed by the country¾«¶«Ó°Òµ government.
A report by Channel News Asia stated that the airport saw four to nine times more migrant worker arrivals, as the Immigration Department of Malaysia reported that 2,500 migrant workers arrived each day since May 22, 2024, with this figure increasing to between 4,000 and 4,500 on May 27, 2024.
According to the department, the usual daily arrivals of migrant workers range between 500 to 1,000.
The influx of migrant workers comes amid the government¾«¶«Ó°Òµ decision to place a temporary freeze on companies to bring in foreign employment. The government initially gave a deadline of September 30, 2024, but unexpectedly brought it forward to June 1, 2024.
Video clips of the state of the airport on the days leading up to the deadline have been captured and uploaded on various social media channels, including Facebook.
The clip shows an unspecified terminal at KUL airport filled with migrant workers, many of them sitting and lying on the floor, while hundreds more are lined up.
Despite the rush to enter the country, State Minister Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury told Malaysian media that over 16,900 workers missed the deadline to reach Kuala Lumpur.
Statistics from the International Organization for Migration show that Malaysia has approximately 3 million migrant workers, making up 8.9% of the country¾«¶«Ó°Òµ population of 33.4 million.
Migrants in Malaysia mainly come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, with many engaged in industries including manufacturing, plantation, agriculture, hospitality and security services, and domestic work.
