JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Over 1,500 Indonesian migrant workers were repatriated by the Malaysian government due to legal issues, officials said Wednesday.

From June 1 to 24, a total of 1,576 migrant workers, including 1,132 male and 444 female, were repatriated to Indonesia's Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands Province from Malaysia, the Tanjungpinang's immigration spokesman Surya Pranata told Antara news agency.

According to Surya, the migrant workers had been serving prison time due to faulty or incomplete paperwork in order for them to legally work in Malaysia. The spokesman also noted that many of the workers arrived in Tanjungpinang in poor condition. Some were barefoot, while others only carried the clothes they were wearing.

One of the repatriated Indonesian workers told the media outlet that Malaysian prison officers would take all of their belongings before being sent back. In addition, he said many were also caned at the prison.

The workers would eventually be sent to their respective home villages from Tanjungpinang, Surya said, adding that among the repatriated workers were seven infants.

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