PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has begun a crackdown on employers hiring illegal foreign workers nationwide, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop.

He said employers found violating rules on foreign workers recruitment would be blacklisted and would not be allowed to use the facilities again in future.

An operation was conducted at a furniture factory in Kampung Baru, Subang near here yesterday where 66 foreign workers were detained, he added.

"The factory owner allegedly harboured eight foreign workers whose permits had expired, 10 with work permits for the plantation sector and 48 without any travel document," he told reporters here today.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said yesterday that employers risked being blacklisted if they did not comply with new rulings proposed for industries employing foreign workers to compel them to closely monitor and manage their workers.

Under proposed amendments to foreign worker laws, employers will be made fully responsible for foreigners that they bring in and they will have to effectively monitor their activities, added Hishamuddin.

The move is among 50 proposed by the life laboratory on foreign workers under the National Key Result Areas as a means to ensure better control of foreign workers.

Abu Seman said under the new rulings, employers were liable under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959 for employing foreign workers without valid permits, employing foreign workers with passes for other industries or employing foreign workers without valid travel documents.

He said it was also an offence under Section 55E of the act for employers to harbour illegal immigrants at their premises while those who intentionally provided protection for illegal immigrants, who violated the rules, could be charged under Section 56 (1) (d).

Meanwhile, he said for the first half of this year, the Immigration Department arrested 413 employers under Section 55B of the Immigration Act, 46 under Section 55E and 188 under section (56 (1) (d)).

He said six outsourcing companies were blacklisted while 21 companies were placed under observation.

Seventy-two employers were charged under Section 55B, 28 under Section 55E and 20 under Section 56 (1)(d) in the first half of this year, he said, adding that the Immigration Department conducted 3,687 operations during the period.