ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the number of illegal immigrants arrested is on the rise; (b) whether the number has reached a level which will endanger our security; and (c) whether our resources are being stretched in trying to put this problem under control.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of illegal immigrants arrested in January 1998 and February 1998 were 431 and 644 respectively. The number for March 1998 was 2,086. The increase in arrests is due mainly to more intensive enforcement action by the Police.

There is no cause for alarm. Police operations are aimed at containing the illegal immigration problem to prevent it from getting out of hand. They are a warning to potential illegal immigrants that they should not come to Singapore as there is no work for them and that the Police are alert.

The fact that more illegal immigrants are arrested does not indicate a deterioration in the security situation in Singapore. For March 1998, the number of illegal immigrants arrested for criminal activities was only 32. The security, and law and order situation in Singapore is firmly under control.

The arrests of illegal immigrants demonstrate that the Police and the other Home Team agencies such as Singapore Immigration and Prisons are, for the present, well-equipped to deal with this problem.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Jalan Besar): Sir, could the Minister comment on the adequacy of the current penalties to deal with the various immigration offences: overstayers, illegal immigrants, syndicates who run such rings, and if they are not adequate, whether he intends to revise them in the future?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, the current penalties for most of the offences under the Immigration Act are adequate. But we are now looking at amending some parts of it to make the penalties heavier for certain types of offences, for example, attempting illegal entry, abetting in bringing in illegal immigrants into Singapore, and so on. When the details are finalised, I will move the amendments in this House.

Mr Simon S C Tay (Nominated Member): Sir, may I ask the Minister if it is true that there have been recent cases in which we have caught illegal immigrants actually leaving the country?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Yes, these are well publicised in the newspapers. It is true.

Mr Simon Tay: May I ask the Minister what is the reasoning behind this: why do we want to catch people who are already leaving the country?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: The reason is that when they come in here illegally they have committed an offence. If they have committed an act which is not lawful and when the police has received such information they must act. It is only natural that they must act. If not, they are not doing their job.

Mr Shriniwas Rai (Nominated Member): Sir, it is comforting to know that the situation is under control. Would the Minister take the matter to its source where these illegal immigrants came from and inform the governments and media there to spread the news of the consequences of coming here illegally? There are people who come here illegally and get arrested and sometimes they are not aware of the situation till they come here. I am asking whether the Minister will be prepared to liaise with the governments concerned and the media as well.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, it requires more than just government effort to tell these people who come from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia all the countries around us that they should not come here illegally. I am sure the embassies here also do their job. They know that our Police are taking enforcement action against people who had come in illegally or overstayed beyond the validity of their social visit passes. They report back to their governments and they could also help us by telling their people not to come here illegally.

On our part, we have already passed the message to all these illegal immigrants and overstayers that when they go home, please tell their friends not to come here illegally. We give them newspaper cuttings and a lot of information, for example, when they are in prison, we educate them to come here legally, if they want to, otherwise they should not try to come here. The programmes on our television are being watched in parts of Malaysia and Batam and I am sure those who watch television would also know that police enforcement action is very intensive and they should not try to enter Singapore illegally.