ingapore orders illegal immigrants

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Singapore orders illegal immigrants jailed, caned 
11:42 p.m. Mar 21, 1998 Eastern 
SINGAPORE, March 22 (Reuters) - Singapore has jailed and ordered caned 117
men convicted of entering the country illegally or overstaying in the
city-state, the Sunday Times reported. 

The men were among 300 people charged with immigration offences on Saturday.
They bring to nearly 800 the number of people arrested last week in a drive
against illegal immigrants, who have been flooding into Singapore as the
regional economies deteriorate. 

In a Subordinate Court session that ran about four hours longer than normal,
the 117 men admitted entering Singapore illegally or overstaying in the
country, the Times said. They were sentenced to up to six weeks in jail and
four to six strokes of the cane. 

Three women from China who had overstayed were each jailed for a month and
fined Singapore $2,000 (US$1,242). Singapore does not allow the caning of
women. 

Those not dealt with on Saturday among the nine bus-loads of people brought
to the court were remanded in police custody for a week while their entry
status was checked and investigations made to see if they had criminal records. 

The prosecution asked for deterrent sentences, saying there has been an
alarming increase in the number of illegal immigrants in Singapore, the
newspaper said. 

``We are literally a nation besieged and a lot of manpower and resources
have to be deployed to block their entry until the waves of such immigrants
subside,'' the unidentified Singapore prosecutor was quoted as saying. 

``With the large numbers of convicted immigration offenders and as the
further influx of such offenders continues and escalates, there will be a
problem of overcrowding the prisons,'' he said. 

Singapore has recently intensified efforts to combat illegal immigration,
fearing the problem could worsen as regional economies deteriorate. It
particularly fears an influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring Indonesia. 

Migration experts say up to two million illegal immigrants are working in
Southeast Asia, and traffic in illegal workers could explode as the region's
economic crisis drags on. 

Nationals from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka,
Thailand and China appeared in court on Saturday. 

The maximum punishment for illegal entry into Singapore is six months'
imprisonment and caning. 

Harbouring or employing illegal immigrants carries a jail sentence of six
months to two years and a fine of up to S$6,000. Those who employ more than
five illegal workers also face caning. 

(US$1 - Singapore $1.61) ^REUTERS@ 

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.