Number of immigration offender employers rose in 2013

Busted offenders down by 2%.

In 2013, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) cleared about 203 million travellers, an increase of about 3.6% compared to 2012. ICA faces the constant challenge of increasing traveller volumes and the need to clear them efficiently while ensuring that security is not compromised.

The number of harbourers of Immigration Offenders (IO) arrested in 2013 registered a significant increase from 77 in 2012 to 233 in 2013. Similarly, the number of employers of IOs arrested in 2013 rose from 41 in 2012 to 97 in 2013.

Harbourers and Employers (H/E) figures have been on the rise since the 3rd quarter of 2012. One of the key reasons for the sharp increase is that ICA had taken over all the investigative and associated functions for harbouring and illegal employment cases from the Police since 1 July 2012.

This transfer enables ICA to have better oversight of the enforcement of all immigration related offences. This has also led to better synergies and efficiency in tackling immigration offences.

Meanwhile, the total number of IOs arrested in 2013 registered a 2% decrease as compared to 2012.