PUTRAJAYA: Airline companies are responsible for sending back travellers who have been issued Not to Land (NTL) notices and not third parties, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the Cabinet made the decision at its weekly meeting after a lengthy discussion on the NTL issue, particularly at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
"This decision was made in line with international laws as well as under our immigration regulations," he said at a press conference here on Wednesday (July 12).
He added that the International Civil Aviation Organisation clearly states that airline companies are responsible for turned-away travellers or those who have been denied entry.
He said at the point of departure, the airline company must find out if the traveller has a return ticket before issuing a boarding pass.
"That is the international standard operating procedure, so airline companies must check if travellers have a return ticket.
"If a traveller arrives without one and is denied entry, then the company is responsible for flying the person back," he said.
Saifuddin said The Home Ministry and the Transport Ministry would hold further discussions to find a suitable time to implement the procedure.
He also said both ministries would also discuss the fate of the third party which the Airline Operators Committee appointed in February 2015.
According to statistics, a total of 3,984,823 travellers arrived via KLIA between January and June.
During the same period, 14,973 travellers, mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, were issued NTL notices.
