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A Chinese woman, Lu Ailan, overstayed her visit pass in Singapore for more than 20 years before surrendering herself to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on August 20, 2024. Now 55, Lu had arrived in Singapore on March 13, 2004, through Changi Airport, and was granted a visit pass valid until March 27, 2004. However, instead of applying for an extension, she chose to remain in the country unlawfully.
Court documents revealed that Lu overstayed for 7,451 days, or approximately 20 years and five months. During this period, she engaged in illegal employment to support herself. After surrendering at the ICA's Repatriation Branch, Lu was arrested on the spot, as she could not provide any evidence of her legal stay in Singapore.
On August 29, 2024, Lu was sentenced by a Singapore court to six months in jail and fined S$2,000 in lieu of caning. The judge noted that although Lu had voluntarily surrendered and pleaded guilty, the severity of her offense, especially given the extended duration of her overstay, warranted a strict sentence. The court did not provide any insight into why she chose to turn herself in after so many years.
Under Singapore law, overstaying for more than 90 days is considered a serious offense. Those convicted may face up to six months in jail and at least three strokes of the cane. However, individuals who are not subject to caning, such as women, may be fined up to S$6,000 instead.
The ICA emphasized in a statement that overstaying is treated as a grave violation of immigration laws, with stringent penalties in place to deter such actions. The agency conducts regular enforcement operations in collaboration with other law enforcement bodies to apprehend overstayers and other immigration offenders. Employers and landlords are also reminded to verify the legal status of foreign workers or tenants by checking their immigration or work passes against their passports and confirming the validity of these documents on the issuing authority's website.
The ICA further warned that harboring or employing immigration offenders could result in fines of up to S$6,000, imprisonment for up to 24 months, or both.
Source: https://mothership.sg
