LETTER | Unfair arrest of undocumented migrants in fight against pandemic

LETTER | The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) Women Division deeply regrets that the government intends to arrest undocumented migrants during the nationwide full movement control order (MCO).

After all, the government has promised in the past that it will not arrest any undocumented migrants who are willing to undergo Covid-19 testing and vaccinations. Public health is a priority.

Enforcement authorities explained that the arrest of undocumented immigrants is to prevent the spread of the pandemic and prevent the formation of new clusters. However, KLSCAH Women Division believes that this will be counterproductive.

Large-scale arrests will only cause undocumented migrants to be reluctant to show up for testing or treatment, thus further increasing the risk of spreading Covid-19.

In addition, if large numbers of undocumented migrants are gathered in detention centres without maintaining social distancing, this will inevitably accelerate the spread of the pandemic and increase the risk of infection by law enforcement personnel. Therefore, this does not withhold the standards of pandemic prevention and control.

KLSCAH Women Division believes that the best way to flatten the curve is large-scale testing and vaccination.

The government should set aside legality issues during this dire state of lockdown, and work with employers and NGOs to encourage immigrants, especially undocumented migrants, to actively seek testing and vaccination.

Only in this way can we effectively curb the spread of the Covid-19 and achieve the goal of herd immunity as soon as possible.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.