On 12 November 2026, one Chinese national and one Indonesian national were charged by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in separate cases for harbouring and employing immigration offenders.
Case of Huo Fuli (“Huo”)
2. Huo, a 43-year-old Chinese man who holds a Singapore Work Permit, was charged with harbouring a 49-year-old Chinese woman, Yu Baochun (“Yu”) who had overstayed in Singapore since 26 April 2017, following the expiry of her Special Pass.
3. Investigations by ICA revealed that Huo had allowed Yu to stay at his Woodlands Drive unit from June 2020 to September 2026 without conducting due diligence checks to ensure that she possessed a valid pass to remain in Singapore. Yu was subsequently sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined $2,500. She has since been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.
Case of Ilham Samudera (“Ilham”)
4. Ilham, a 50-year-old Indonesian man and Singapore Permanent Resident, was charged with harbouring and employing a 53-year-old Indonesian woman, Tri Mujilah (“Tri”), who had overstayed in Singapore since 3 April 2026, following the expiry of her visit pass.
5. Investigations by ICA revealed that Ilham had allowed Tri to stay at his Oxford Road unit from April to July 2026 despite knowing that her stay in Singapore was not valid. Ilham had also illegally employed Tri from February to July 2026. Tri has since been deported from Singapore.
Firm Action Against the Employment and Harbouring of Immigration Offenders
6. ICA takes a firm stance against any person who employs or harbours immigration offenders.
- Employing Immigration Offenders: A person found guilty of employing overstayers and/or illegal immigrants may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and up to two years and a fine of up to S$6,000.
- Harbouring Immigration Offenders: A person found guilty of recklessly or knowingly harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and up to two years and a fine of up to S$6,000. A person found guilty of negligently harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants may be sentenced to a fine of up to S$6,000 or to imprisonment for a term of up to 12 months, or to both.
7. Those who wish to rent out their premises must exercise due diligence in checking the immigration status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure that their stay in Singapore is legal. They are required to:
- Check the tenant’s original immigration/work pass;
- Cross-check the particulars on his/her pass against the particulars on his/her original passport; and
- Verify the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority (i.e. Ministry of Manpower for work passes and ICA for immigration passes – Student’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass).
IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
12 NOVEMBER 2026