But around 500 to 600 foreigners here have overstayed after their visit passes expired and have not yet been nabbed by the authorities.
Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam revealed this on Nov 11 in a written reply to a parliamentary question from Workers' Party MP Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC).
The minister said this figure is less than 0.001 per cent of Singapore's annual visitor arrival numbers.
The Sunday Times understands that the number of overstayers yet to be arrested is typically calculated from entry and exit data at the checkpoints.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Law, wrote: "Some may have inadvertently stayed past the validity of their issued pass, while others do so intentionally for reasons such as to seek employment."
He said it is not always possible to immediately arrest overstayers as they may have changed their contact details or residential address from the details previously declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
Ms Lim had asked for the average number of overstayers in each of the past two years, and the total number of overstayers who have not yet been arrested.
Denne historien er fra November 17, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 17, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Straits Times launches Food In The Hood guide for best eats in Singapore
Hungry? Look no further than the new Food In The Hood guide by The Straits Times' food team.
Music goes on for Gravity Band at Brix nightclub
It is 9pm on a Wednesday night, the calm before the storm.
Live music with your cup of kopi
Musicians and DJs have been hitting hawker centres and coffee shops to liven up the atmosphere at eating haunts
Author Marilyn Choong believes communicating with the dead can help with grief
While grieving the death of her mother from cancer in June 2022, Singaporean author Marilyn Choong started receiving what she believed were signs from the afterlife — multi-colored feathers began to appear in her home.
Strong premise of a rental wife, pity the unfocused storytelling
The Trunk satirises marriage, yet lacks the bite to offer any illuminating insights about the institution
Enter a soft, warm home full of stories in Mina's Matchbox
On March 16, 1972, 12-year-old Tomoko takes the Sanyo Shinkansen line from Okayama City, Japan, to the coastal town of Ashiya to stay with her aunt's family.
Let's Talk About Death Who will inherit my digital assets?
Let's Talk About Death is a five-episode docuseries that follows several millennials and their loved ones as they navigate end-of-life planning, and it starts honest conversations about death and dying well.
Chef-restaurateur turns influencer at 49
When he decided to produce a supermarket series of TikTok videos on the best-tasting brands of pasta, olive oil, and butter, little did restaurant owner and chef Gero DiMaria expect it to kick-start his second career as a social media influencer at age 49.
VIRTUAL LIFT FOR TAEKWONDO
Martial art hopes to boost grassroots participation with electronic format
Bye, BIG TECH benefits
Singapore employees at tech giants are feeling the pinch after rounds of company cutbacks and layoffs