VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKL #1693/01 3450843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110843Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 4471
INFO RUEAIAO/HQ ICE IAO WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0352
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 001693 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
SINGAPORE FOR ICE 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS, G/TIP, PRM AND DS/ATA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF CVIS KCRM KJUS MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN IMMIGRATION REQUESTS TRAINING VISIT TO U.S. PORTS 
OF ENTRY AND DETENTION FACILITIES 
 
 
----------------------- 
SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST 
----------------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action request for ICE Singapore to organize a 
study visit to the U.S. for Malaysian Immigration officers, with a 
focus on inspection, detention, removal, and deportation of illegal 
immigrants;  as well as trafficking in persons victim identification 
and protection.  Malaysian Immigration has requested USG assistance 
in their capacity building efforts in this area, and this is a great 
opportunity to cement our relationship with this important 
government agency.  End Summary. 
 
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BACKGROUND 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Malaysian Department of Immigration (DOI), housed in 
the Ministry of Home Affairs, is a key player in several areas of 
great interest to this mission, including refugee resettlement and 
trafficking in persons (TIP).  DOI practice in handling illegal 
immigrants, refugees, and trafficking victims falls far short of 
U.S. standards, but we sense a desire to improve among senior DOI 
officials with whom we interact.  The Embassy has worked hard to 
increase cooperation with DOI, especially over the past year, with a 
view to helping DOI raise its standards, and we have enjoyed some 
success.  Seeking closer cooperative ties to the U.S., and DOI 
proposed earlier this year to conclude a MOU on cooperation in 
immigration affairs.  DOI has cooperated overall in Chin 
resettlement processing, and recently allowed us access to Chin 
refugees held in immigration detention centers.  DOI has also been 
communicative on the subject in trafficking in persons, and has 
recently requested U.S. training in trafficking in persons, 
especially victim identification and care.  When it comes to several 
sensitive cases of American citizens needing permission to enter or 
leave in unusual circumstances, we have been able to intervene at 
high enough levels to meet our needs.  Immigration senior officers 
and executives have asked Embassy staff and an ICE Representative 
from Singapore for a study visit to a domestic ICE office.  Malaysia 
Immigration has indicated to Post that they would pay for up to ten 
senior level officers from across the directorates within 
Immigration to travel to the United States.  Embassy believes that 
such a program will strengthen out ties to the DOI, increase DOI's 
receptivity to further cooperation, and, over the longer term, 
improve DOI capacities.  ICE Singapore is aware and supportive of 
this request and is uniquely qualified to facilitate this kind of 
visit. 
 
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PLEASE TRAIN US 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Throughout 2007, in our engagement with Immigration at all 
levels, the drumbeat has been to get more training for its officers. 
 From the Home Affairs Deputy Secretary General (the number two 
civil servant in the Ministry) to the head of the Immigration 
Department, to his chiefs of Security and Passport, Immigration, to 
the head officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, all have 
asked for assistance in helping them defend their borders from 
criminals. The requests are open ended, whether it is document 
examination, passenger analysis, identifying victims of TIP, or port 
of entry procedures. Our contacts have presented themselves as 
sponges, ready to soak up anything we can offer. Immigration has 
pressed us on several occasions to enter into a shared statement of 
principles, a Memorandum of Understanding, to formalize this 
cooperation. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) We have responded so far with several home grown courses 
on U.S. documents, and have sent consular staff to the airport to 
perform surprise passenger inspection, with the concurrence of 
Immigration.  Earlier this month four nations (the U.S., U.K., 
Canada and Australia, and including ICE Singapore participation) 
held a one day course on document analysis for immigration 
inspectors from four Malaysian international airports that was very 
well received.  We are gaining a good reputation as a training 
authority, and seek other ways to develop the relationship. 
 
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NEEDS ASSESSMENT 
--------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) While Malaysia's border security systems have some very 
impressive technological capabilities, senior Immigration officials 
have expressed their frustration with the quality of information 
that goes into them.  Derogatory information from other government 
 
offices, Interpol notices, and lists of lost/stolen foreign 
passports are not there for the use of POE inspectors.  They have no 
access to Passenger Name Records (PNRs) that could alert them to 
suspicious travelers en route. Immigration possesses no real 
capability to perform secondary inspection.  They have no effective 
way to remove those who have overstayed their visas or arrived 
without one. Their detention facilities are sorely lacking in 
managing the large number of detainees who are in removal 
proceedings. Recently, the government was forced to convert a 
parking garage at the airport as a temporary housing and processing 
site for foreigners being returned to their home countries. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Malaysia's immigration problems are driven by its 
relationship with Indonesia, and actually closely resemble our own. 
Indonesia is a large, developing country with very porous land and 
sea borders with Malaysia. Malaysia is a relatively more developed 
country, with an economic pull to Indonesians to work in jobs such 
as construction and agriculture that most Malaysians would not take. 
 There are legal and illegal ways to get this work.  Within this 
relationship, the Department of Immigration is looking to strengthen 
its capabilities for detection, deterrence, and detention of those 
found outside the legal working climate.  Assistance we provide in 
this arena will open up doors for us to advance our cooperation in 
refugee processing, TIP prevention and TIP victim protection, as 
well as increased capabilities in denying movement of alien 
smugglers, suspected terrorists, and other transnational criminals. 
 
 
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PROPOSAL 
--------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Immigration senior officers and executives have asked 
Embassy staff and an ICE Representative from Singapore for a study 
visit to a domestic ICE office.  Specific topics requested include a 
review of the structure of a domestic ICE office of Investigations, 
fugitive apprehension operations, worksite enforcement, detention 
and removal operations, and how the USG works with foreign missions 
to repatriate or deport those inadmissible aliens.  We also should 
include topics related to trafficking in persons, including victim 
identification and protection, and refugee protection.Malaysia 
Immigration has indicated to Post that they would pay for up to ten 
senior level officers from across the directorates within 
Immigration to travel to the United States.  ICE Singapore is aware 
and supportive of this request.  ICE Singapore is uniquely qualified 
to facilitate this kind of visit. 
 
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ACTION REQUEST 
--------------- 
 
 
¶8.  (U) Post requests that ICE Attach Singapore develop an 
all-encompassing itinerary, including topics of TIP and refugees, 
for Malaysian Immigration officers to visit the United States.  Post 
requests that ICE Attach Singapore coordinate this visit with ICE 
Office of International Affairs and relevant ICE domestic offices. 
Post requests that an ICE Representative with an established 
relationship with various GoM agencies to escort the GoM delegation. 
 Post understands that all costs incurred by the ICE Representative 
will be paid for with ICE funding. 
 
¶9.  (U) This request has been coordinated with all relevant offices 
within the Mission. 
 
KEITH