On 1 October 2026, a 30-year-old Singaporean male, Sharizal Bin Saidon (“Sharizal”), was charged by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for abetting a 30-year-old Indonesian female Alfira Mongan (“Alfira”) to overstay in Singapore. Sharizal was also charged for harbouring Alfira, as well as obstructing an ICA officer in the execution of his duty.

First charge

2           Investigations by ICA found that Sharizal had, without reasonable cause, allegedly abetted Afira to overstay in Singapore by instigating her to remain unlawfully in Singapore from 20 May 2023 to 26 May 2026, after the expiry of her Special Pass on 19 May 2023.

Second charge

3           Investigations also revealed that Sharizal had purportedly allowed Alfira to stay at his Hougang Avenue 5 unit from 20 May 2023 to 26 May 2026 despite knowing that Alfira had overstayed in Singapore.

Third charge

4           Sharizal was also alleged to have obstructed an ICA officer in the execution of his duty at the Hougang unit on 26 May 2026. He allegedly instructed Alfira to hide in a closet to evade detection and instructed a 20-year-old male to delete messages from Alfira’s mobile phone.  

5           Alfira was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment and a $2,000 fine. Following the completion of her sentence, she was deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

Firm Action Against the Harbouring of Immigration Offenders and Obstruction of ICA Officers in the Execution of their Duty

6          ICA takes a firm stance against any person who harbours immigration offenders or obstructs ICA officers in the execution of their duty.

• Harbouring immigration offenders: A person found guilty of knowingly harbouring an overstayer and/or illegal immigrant, or doing so with reckless disregard as to whether the person had contravened the Immigration Act or its regulations, may be sentenced to imprisonment for a presumptive minimum term of not less than six months and not more than two years, and may also be fined up to S$6,000. A person found guilty of negligently failing to ascertain whether an overstayer and/or illegal immigrant whom the person harbours had contravened the Immigration Act or its regulations 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.
• Obstruction of ICA officers in the execution of their duties: Any person found guilty of resisting or obstructing, actively or passively, an immigration officer in the execution of the immigration officer’s duty may be sentenced to a fine not exceeding $4,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 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
1 OCTOBER 2026