On 30 July 2026, four individuals were charged by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for harbouring and employing immigration offenders.

Case of Thomas Lee Kum Chuen (“Lee”) and Foo Cher Fatt (“Foo”)

2.          Lee, a 58-year-old Singaporean, was charged for employing a 49-year-old Chinese woman, Xiao Shufang (“Xiao”), who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of her work permit on 3 March 2013. Foo, a 76-year-old Singaporean, was charged for harbouring Xiao.

3.          Investigations by ICA found that Lee had allegedly employed Xiao as a part-time cleaner from March 2013 to April 2026 and failed to conduct further verification of her immigration status after knowing that her work permit had expired. Foo had purportedly allowed Xiao to stay in his Bukit Batok unit from sometime in 2012 to April 2026 without conducting due diligence checks to ensure that she had a valid pass to stay in Singapore. Xiao was subsequently convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Following the completion of her sentence, she was deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

Case of Durairaj Singamuthu (“Durairaj”)

4.          Durairaj, a 34-year-old Indian national, was charged for employing a 39-year-old Indian man, Krishnakumar Ravi (“Krishnakumar”), who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass on 20 August 2025.

5.          Investigations by ICA found that Durairaj had allegedly employed Krishnakumar as a delivery assistant from February 2026 to April 2026 without conducting due diligence checks to ensure that he possessed a valid work permit to work and stay in Singapore. Krishnakumar was subsequently convicted and sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane. He has since been deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.   

Case of Yan Mun Wai (“Yan”)

6.          Yan, a 51-year-old Singaporean, was charged for harbouring a 42-year-old Filipina, Leilanie Ragasa Alog (“Leilanie”), who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of her visit pass on 2 July 2012.

7.          Investigations by ICA revealed that Yan had allegedly allowed Leilanie to stay in his Teck Whye Lane unit from sometime in 2018 to January 2026, without verifying her immigration status and conducting due diligence checks to ensure that she had a valid pass to stay in Singapore. Leilanie was subsequently convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and imposed with a $2,000 fine. Following the completion of her sentence, she was deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

Firm Action Against the Employment and Harbouring of Immigration Offenders

8.          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.

9.          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

30 JULY 2026