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The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
would like to announce that the stepped-up checks at the checkpoints and our
tough enforcement action had resulted in the arrests of 11,790 immigration
offenders (IOs) in 2004. ICA will continue to intensify our efforts against
the immigration offender situation here. |
On 16 Feb 2005 between 0200 hours and 0400 hours,
ICA officers mounted an operation against immigration offenders staying at
lodging houses at Rambutan Road and in Joo Chiat. A total of 33 IOs were
arrested at these two premises. |
Our officers found the living conditions of the
two premises to be dirty and overcrowded. A few had tried to escape but were
soon caught by officers guarding the possible escape routes. The 33 IOs (all
males) nabbed were from India and Bangladesh and aged between 24 and 59. |
ICA takes a serious view of attempts by foreigners
to overstay or enter Singapore illegally. Under the Immigration Act (Cap 133),
the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six
months plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane. |
Immigration Offender Situation 2004 |
Illegal Immigrants |
Our vigilance and stepped-up security checks at
the various checkpoints have continued to deter the smuggling of illegal
immigrants in and out of Singapore. |
A total of 5,400 illegal immigrants were arrested
in 2004. The majority of illegal immigrants arrested were from India, Myanmar
and the People's Republic of China. Together, they accounted for 78 per cent
of total illegal immigrants arrested. The number of vehicles seized for the
commission of smuggling offences has also fallen from 43 in 2002 to 20 last
year. |
Overstayers |
The number of overstayers arrested in 2004 was
6,390. The majority of the overstayers arrested (about 79 per cent) were from
India, the People's Republic of China and Thailand. |
Together with our Home Team partner, the Singapore
Police Force, we will continue to flush out immigration offenders to maintain
the safety and security of our community. We will also not hesitate to take
action against harbourers and employers of immigration offenders. |
Harbourers and Employers of immigration
offenders |
Stepped-up checks and enforcement are part of
ICA's multi-pronged approach in dealing with the immigration offender
situation. ICA had also embarked on a series of community involvement
activities to raise public awareness of the situation, as well as to deter the
harbouring and employment of immigration offenders. |
These include conducting talks to grassroots
leaders and residents on how to conduct the due diligence checks required by
the Immigration Act and to look out for the security features of immigration
passes, work passes and NRICs. |
Last year, ICA also briefed the Association of
Employment Agencies to educate them on identifying immigration offenders who
may approach them for work opportunities. |
Recently, ICA conducted briefing sessions to
familiarise housing agents with the new requirement under the Immigration Act
for them to conduct due diligence checks before they recommend a prospective
tenant to a homeowner. ICA will also be distributing pamphlets warning against
the harbouring of immigration offenders to all homeowners. |
The efforts of the authorities to create greater
awareness of the immigration offender problem and the penalties for employing
and harbouring immigration offenders have, once again, paid off. In 2004, the
number of persons arrested for harbouring and employing immigration offenders
fell by 24 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. In fact, the number of
harbourers and employers arrested has been falling since 2002. (See
Annex.) |
Everyone Has a Part to Play |
Immigration offenders pose potential law and order
problems in Singapore. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the security
and safety of Singapore. |
Singaporeans should not employ or harbour
immigration offenders. Without a job or shelter, these immigration offenders
will not find it attractive to come to Singapore. We would urge members of
public with information regarding immigration offenders to call ICA at Tel:
1800-391 6150 or contact the Police. |
When in doubt about the status of their
prospective tenants, homeowners and housing agents can make use of VERIFI (VERIfication
of Foreigner Immigration Status) and iCHECK (Identity Card Checking Facility)
to verify the immigration passes and NRICs of their prospective tenants
respectively. |
The VERIFI and iCHECK services are available at
ICA's website: http://www.ica.gov.sg.
Similarly, MOM has a system to allow the checking on the validity of work
passes at its website: http://www.mom.gov.sg. |
As our country's first line of defence against
terrorist threats, the checkpoints play a crucial part in ensuring the
security and safety of Singapore. ICA have and will remain vigilant when
conducting security checks on all passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints
to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons,
explosives and other contraband. |
Besides deterring attempts to smuggle illegal
immigrants through our checkpoints, about 18,255 cases of attempted contraband
smuggling were also thwarted by ICA last year. |
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
17 Feb 05 |
More.....
(Annex) |
Source:
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority Press
Release 17 Feb 2005 |