Filipinos in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
Filipinos in Malaysia comprise migrants and residents from the Philippines
and their descendants living in Malaysia. Because of the short distance between the two nations, many Filipinos have emigrated there. Between 245,000 and 637,000 Filipinos live in Malaysia. Many of them are illegal residents while there are a smaller number of migrant workers and fewer permanent residents.
, and were subject to illegal immigration crackdowns by the Malaysian government in the region during 2002, 2005 and 2008. In 2002, during the first major crackdown on illegal immigration
, and 64,000 Filipinos were deported. Every year, between 4,000 and 6,000 Filipinos are deported each year for immigration offenses, and the Filipino government says that there are roughly 3,000 Filipinos currently detained in immigration centers awaiting deportation
. 300 Filipinos were deported as recently as 16 February 2009, 31 of which were children and 116 others were younger than 19.
ing, construction
, engineering
, medical
, and tourism
sectors, as well as being employed as domestic worker
s. About 4,000 Filipinos are in professional positions, and 20,000 Filipino women are employed in Malaysia as maids.
A majority of Filipinos in Malaysia come from Basilan
, Sulu, Palawan
, Tawi-Tawi
, and the Zamboanga Peninsula. There are at least 25 Filipino community organisations in Malaysia.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and their descendants living in Malaysia. Because of the short distance between the two nations, many Filipinos have emigrated there. Between 245,000 and 637,000 Filipinos live in Malaysia. Many of them are illegal residents while there are a smaller number of migrant workers and fewer permanent residents.
Illegal immigration issues
The majority of undocumented Filipinos live in SabahSabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, and were subject to illegal immigration crackdowns by the Malaysian government in the region during 2002, 2005 and 2008. In 2002, during the first major crackdown on illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
, and 64,000 Filipinos were deported. Every year, between 4,000 and 6,000 Filipinos are deported each year for immigration offenses, and the Filipino government says that there are roughly 3,000 Filipinos currently detained in immigration centers awaiting deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
. 300 Filipinos were deported as recently as 16 February 2009, 31 of which were children and 116 others were younger than 19.
Filipino workers
In March 1988, an estimated 83,000 Filipino workers lived legally in Malaysia, according to the Philippine Immigration Department. By 2008, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos were working in Malaysia, although more than ten thousand illegal Filipino migrants were deported back to the Philippines. Filipinos in Malaysia work in the bankBank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
ing, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
sectors, as well as being employed as domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
s. About 4,000 Filipinos are in professional positions, and 20,000 Filipino women are employed in Malaysia as maids.
A majority of Filipinos in Malaysia come from Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, Sulu, Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...
, and the Zamboanga Peninsula. There are at least 25 Filipino community organisations in Malaysia.