Case of a Woman who Overstayed More Than 28 Years After Surrendering Her Passport in 1996

Question:

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) why a woman who surrendered her passport to ICA in 1996 was not monitored more closely, allowing her to overstay for more than 28 years; (b) what specific vulnerabilities enabled her to live in Singapore and for her daughter to apply for permanent residency without detection; and (c) what new measures have been implemented to prevent a similar incident.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) takes a very serious view of overstayers and those who harbour them. ICA conducts regular ground operations to try to detect and enforce against overstaying. But sometimes, deliberate overstayers manage to evade the enforcement actions.

2. Specific to this case involving Yu Zefang, which I understand the member is referring to, she deliberately maintained a very low profile in Singapore, which made it difficult for the agencies to detect her. She did not maintain a fixed place of stay, did not engage in any formal employment, did not have any local bank account, and did not utilise any Government services such as public healthcare, which would have required her identity to be authenticated.

3. ICA is looking into the circumstances around her daughter’s Permanent Residence (PR) application. We will take action if there was any fraud committed in the application, or if other immigration offences such as harbouring of overstayers are disclosed.

4. ICA will continue to try to improve its measures to detect and arrest overstayers.