On 25 June 2026, two Singaporean men were charged by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for harbouring and employing immigration offenders.

Case of Kamarulzaman Bin Yahaya (“Kamarulzaman”)

2.          62-year-old Kamarulzaman was charged for harbouring a 54-year-old Filipina, Leonardo Federigan Leonora (“Leonora”), who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of her visit pass on 28 April 2003.

3.          Investigations by ICA found that Kamarulzaman had allowed Leonara to stay in his Bedok unit from March 2004 to March 2026. Despite knowing that Leonora had overstayed in Singapore, Kamarulzaman allowed her to reside at the unit. Leonora 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.

Case of Mohamad Elfie Hakim Bin Lokman (“Elfie”)

4.          27-year-old Elfie was charged for employing a 26-year-old Indian man, Kakadiya Avanit Rajubhai (“Kakadiya”), who had remained unlawfully in Singapore after the expiry of his visit pass on 17 June 2025.

5.          Investigations by ICA found that Elfie had employed Kakadiya as a parcel delivery worker without conducting due diligence checks to ensure that he had a valid pass to remain in Singapore. Kakadiya was subsequently imposed with a $4,000 fine. He has since been deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

6.          ICA takes a firm stance against any person who harbours immigration offenders. 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:

(a)  Check the tenant’s original immigration/work pass;

(b)  Cross check the particulars on his/her pass against the particulars on his/her original passport; and

(c)  Verify the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority (i.e. the Ministry of Manpower for work passes and ICA for immigration passes – Student’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass).

7.          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.

8.          Any 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.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

25 JUNE 2026