A 57-year-old Chinese national has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and fined S$2,500 after remaining in Singapore illegally for more than two decades.
Wang Youying pleaded guilty to an offence under Singapore’s Immigration Act and was sentenced on Aug. 21, after authorities found that she had overstayed her immigration pass by 8,081 days.
The period amounts to approximately 22 years, one month and 16 days, making it an exceptionally long immigration overstay.
Woman surrendered to police
According to court information, Wang surrendered herself at Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood Police Centre on Aug. 4.
She was unable to produce documents showing that she had a valid immigration status in Singapore. Police subsequently arrested her and handed her over to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for further investigations.
Investigators later discovered that this was not her first offence involving an immigration overstay.
Wang had previously been convicted on Oct. 30, 2002, after overstaying in Singapore for more than 90 days. She was sentenced at the time to one month in jail and fined S$2,000.
She was released on Dec. 31 and subsequently repatriated to China.
Re-entered Singapore in 2004
According to Shin Min Daily News, Despite her earlier conviction, Wang returned to Singapore on June 5, 2004.
She was issued a 14-day visit pass upon arrival, allowing her to remain in the country legally until June 19, 2004.
However, after the pass expired, Wang did not leave Singapore and did not apply for an extension of her stay.
She eventually accumulated an overstay of 8,081 days.
It was not disclosed in court how Wang supported herself during the more than 22 years she remained in Singapore, nor where she lived during that period.
The prosecution sought six months’ imprisonment and a S$2,500 fine, pointing out that Wang had previously been convicted of a similar offence.
Cited serious illness in plea for leniency
During mitigation, Wang reportedly told the court that she was suffering from a serious illness and wanted to return to China as soon as possible.
She also appealed for leniency.
The court ultimately sentenced her to six months in jail and imposed the S$2,500 fine.
However, Wang was unable to pay the fine. As a result, she will serve an additional five days in prison in lieu of the unpaid amount.
Singapore takes immigration offences seriously, particularly where individuals remain in the country after their authorised period of stay has expired. Foreign visitors are required to ensure that their immigration passes remain valid and to obtain the necessary approval if they need to extend their stay.
Wang’s case also highlights how an immigration violation can remain legally significant even after many years, especially when authorities discover that the individual had previously been convicted for a similar offence.