Mr Ong Chin Guan, Noris:
To ask the Minister for Home Affairs if he will furnish information over the last three years (i) the number of illegal immigrants arrested, by their countries of origin, and (ii) the number of employers and agents arrested for employing illegal immigrants compared to the number of landlords arrested for harbouring illegal immigrants.
Answer :
Last year, the Home Team arrested about 16,500 immigration offenders, comprising both illegal immigrants and overstayers. This represents a 3% decrease compared to the 17,000 immigration offenders arrested in 1999, and a 28% decrease compared to the 23,000 immigration offenders arrested in 1998. While the situation has improved over the last 3 years, the figure last year is still 18% higher than the 14,000 arrested in 1997. The immigration offenders arrested came from all over the region, mainly Bangladesh, China and India. The immigration offender problem is still a serious one.
As for harbourers and employers, there has been an increase in the number of arrests over the last 3 years. Last year, 590 people were arrested for harbouring immigration offenders, compared to 306 in 1999 and 166 in 1998. 572 people were arrested for employing immigration offenders. This is an increase over the 388 employers arrested in 1999 and the 270 arrested in 1998.