2 Singaporeans, 1 foreigner charged for harbouring overstayers in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that charges had been brought against three people for harbouring immigration offenders. The individuals charged are a Singaporean man and woman in one case, and a Chinese woman in the other.

In the first case, Phang Kang Rui, 26, and Chia Kai Hui, 33, were charged for harbouring a 33-year-old Malaysian man, Ho Aik Chuan.

According to the March 26 statement from the ICA, the Singaporeans had harboured Ho with reckless disregard as to whether his stay in the city-state was valid. His visit pass expired on Nov 22, 2015, after which Ho remained unlawfully in Singapore.

Upon investigations by ICA officers, it was discovered that Phang and Chia allegedly allowed Ho to stay at their unit at Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 from Oct 1, 2024, until Ho was arrested on June 10, 2025.

He was found guilty and was given a six-month jail sentence as well as three strokes of the cane, and has since been deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

In the second case, Xie Shenghua, a 40-year-old Chinese female work permit holder, was charged for harbouring a 42-year-old Chinese man with reckless disregard as to whether his stay in Singapore was legal.

Although Zhang’s special pass expired on Sept 12, 2024, he remained unlawfully in the city-state.

ICA officers discovered that Xie reportedly let Zhang stay at a unit in 10 Prinsep Link from the middle of last March until Jan 14, 2026.

Zhang has since been convicted and sentenced to 10 weeks in jail along with three strokes of the cane. Like Ho, he has also been deported and is barred from re-entering Singapore.  

“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,” the statement says.

People who desire for their residences to be rented to foreigners need to perform three mandatory checks, namely, checking the would-be tenant’s immigration or work pass; cross-checking the particulars on their pass against the particulars on their original passport; and verifying the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority. For work passes, they should check with the Ministry of Manpower, and for immigration passes (Student’s Passes and Long-Term Visit Passes) they should check with the ICA.

An individual convicted of recklessly or knowingly harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants faces a jail sentence between six months and two years, as well as a maximum fine of S$6,000.

For the charge of negligently harbouring overstayers and/or illegal immigrants, meanwhile, people who are convicted may be fined up to S$6,000, be given a jail term of up to 12 months, or both. /TISG 

Read also: Sharp rise in arrests for housing or hiring immigration offenders as ICA intensifies crackdown in 2024