PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has agreed to extend the Recalibration Plan for Illegal Immigrants to support the implementation of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) until Dec 31, or until the vaccination programme ends.

In a statement today, Home Ministry chief secretary Datuk Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said the matter was agreed in a Cabinet meeting on June 23.

According to him, the meeting also agreed to expand the recalibration plan to Sabah and Sarawak, subject to the approval of the respective state governments.

The plan for the management and regularisation of illegal immigrants in the country as legitimate foreign workers comprises two main components, namely the Return Recalibration Programme and Labour Recalibration Programme.

The plan was initially implemented from Nov 16, 2020, to June 30 this year.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan said as of July 1, a total of 248,083 illegal immigrants have registered under the plan.

Of the total, he said 97,892 individuals had registered to return to their country of origin under the Return Recalibration Programme while 149,889 individuals registered under the Labour Recalibration Programme.

-- BERNAMA