Clarification by Minister of State for Home Affairs
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This clarification concerns the passport statuses and deportation arrangements for foreign individuals who have completed their sentences in Singapore. Minister of State Sun Xueling confirmed that three specific individuals do not hold Cambodian passports but possess valid travel documents for entry into Cambodia. She emphasized that the Ministry’s priority is the swift and effective deportation of foreigners based on their admissibility to destination countries. Additionally, Minister of State Sun Xueling provided a factual correction to clarify that eight, rather than ten, individuals had already been deported. These eight subjects chose to be deported to either Cambodia or Japan after their prison terms were served.
Transcript
1.48 pm
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir, for your indulgence. Earlier, in my response to Ms Sylvia Lim, I had shared with her that I would confirm the passport status of the three individuals that she had referred to. [Please refer to "Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
I have since confirmed with my Ministry that the three individuals that she referred to do not hold Cambodia passports. However, they each hold a valid passport or travel document that meets the admission requirement into Cambodia. From the Ministry's standpoint, our main focus is to effectively and quickly deport the foreigners once they have served their sentences, and that is why it is important for us to make an assessment of their admissibility into the country.
Mr Speaker: Order. Ministerial Statements.
The following statement was made by Minister of State for Home Affairs Ms Sun Xueling in the reply for Question No 36 during Question Time at the Sitting of 2 July 2024:
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): As I mentioned earlier, the foreigners can go to any country which their passport or travel document allows them to go. So, for these 10 subjects, they had chosen to be deported to Cambodia or Japan, at least for these 10 subjects. [Please refer to "Factors Considered in Deciding Deportation Destinations for Foreigners Who Have Served Their Sentences in Singapore", Official Report, 2 July 2024, Vol 95, Issue 137, Oral Answers to Questions section.]
Written statement by Ms Sun Xueling circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5):
I wish to make the following factual correction to the reply given for Question No 36 during Question Time at the Sitting of 2 July 2024. My statement should read as follows:
The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling): As I mentioned earlier, the foreigners can go to any country which their passport or travel document allows them to go. So, for the eight subjects who had already been deported, they had chosen to be deported to Cambodia or Japan.