ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN SINGAPORE (Enforcement action)

The following Question stood in the name of Mr Cyrille Tan -

Mr Cyrille Tan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether his Ministry (i) is planning any new measures to stem the flow of illegal immigrants that the country is facing and (ii) has compiled and analysed any statistical data linking this increased inflow of illegal immigrants to the crime rates in Singapore.

Mr Shriniwas Rai: Question No. 21, Sir.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, since March 1998, the Police has intensified its enforcement action against illegal immigrants (IIs). Police has raided various II haunts, including construction sites, workplaces, forested areas, HDB flats as well as lodging houses. The Police Coast Guard (PCG) has stepped up both sea and shore patrols to detect those who attempt to enter by sea. PCG also uses sophisticated radars to detect illegal immigrants attempting to enter Singapore by sea.

Singapore Immigration and Registration (SIR) has also been playing its part. It has stepped up its checks at our air, land and sea border entry points to detect the smuggling of IIs into Singapore and also turning away suspected illegal workers who try to come to Singapore.

The Home Team's intensified enforcement action so far has yielded good results and kept the II situation under control. However, because of the regional downturn, the risk of people sneaking into Singapore illegally is still high. We should keep up our guard. In addition to Police and Singapore Immigration and Registration continuing rigorous enforcement action, my Ministry is amending the Immigration Act to enhance its deterrent effect of the law against immigration offences.

The Home Team has taken several measures to spread the message to potential IIs that Singapore is serious in tackling the illegal immigration problem, and that the penalties in our laws are severe. Since early April 1998, SIR started handing out notices in the form of flyers to all immigration offenders who were repatriated after they have served their sentences, so that they can send the message to potential immigration offenders back home. The notice carries messages on the seriousness of illegal entry and the penalties associated with it, and are translated into the four official languages, as well as in Thai, Myanmar and Bangladeshi languages. SIR has also started screening a video clip on IIs at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, World Trade Centre and on board ferry boats. The video clip shows how the Home Team agencies have stepped up their enforcement efforts to curb the II problem, eg. stepped up action by PCG, police raids at construction sites, and so on. The message that we convey is that anyone who tries to enter Singapore illegally will be arrested, punished and deported.

What about crime rates and IIs? The number of IIs arrested for crimes in 1997 averaged 13 per month. For the first four months of this year, the average figure was 23. Although there is an increase, the absolute number is negligible compared with the overall crime picture from January to April 1998 where there was a monthly average of 1,468 arrested for various offences. Therefore, there is no cause for alarm for the present.

As I told Dr Yaacob Ibrahim at the last Parliament sitting, the crime situation presently is under control. The fact that more illegal immigrants are arrested does not so far indicate a deterioration in the security situation in Singapore. My Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and take steps to ensure that the law and order situation continues to remain under control.