Screening and Intelligence-led Measures to Identify Visa-exempt Visitors Intending to Engage in Vice-related Activities

Ms Diana Pang Li Yen asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what screening and intelligence-led measures are used to identify visa-exempt visitors who may intend to engage in vice-related activities; (b) how do authorities detect repeat visits or successive arrivals by persons linked to the same vice operation; and (c) whether no-boarding directives, entry restrictions or other safeguards will be strengthened to prevent such persons from entering Singapore.

Sir, Singapore adopts a risk-based, multi-layered approach to identify travellers who may intend to engage in unlawful activities, including vice.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) leverages data analytics to conduct pre-arrival risk assessments using advance passenger information, intelligence, watchlists and other available information to identify travellers of interest or other factors, such as patterns of travel, that may warrant further scrutiny. Travellers arriving at our checkpoints who are assessed or profiled to present a higher risk will also be subjected to further interviews and checks, before ICA determines whether to grant them entry.

ICA continually reviews and strengthens its border security capabilities to address evolving threats, including those posed by transnational vice syndicates. In January this year, ICA introduced a new upstream measure by issuing No-Boarding Directive (NBD) notices to airlines operators at Changi and Seletar Airports, which requires the operators to prevent persons identified as prohibited or undesirable travellers from boarding flights bound for Singapore.

NBD notices may be used across a range of cases involving identified prohibited or undesirable persons, including those who are engaged in vice-related activities.

Ms Pang.

I thank the Minister of State for the answer. Are you seeing an increasing number of visitors coming to Singapore after the opening of certain visa-free countries that the number of burglaries and scams are happening more here in Singapore?

Sir, I thank Ms Diana Pang for the question. Foreigners seeking entry into Singapore and who are assessed to have the intention to engage in vice-related activities in Singapore will be deemed as undesirable persons. Having said that, the ICA does not track those foreigners who are on visa-free entry and who are engaging in illegal activities in Singapore.

Nevertheless, with traveller assessments now extended further upstream during pre-arrival, checks have become more robust. In 2025, approximately about 45,000 foreign visitors were refused entry at Singapore's checkpoints. This represents about a 38.3% increase from around 33,000 foreign visitors who were denied entry in 2024.

These foreigners were assessed to pose immigration or security risks, or believed to have the intention to come to Singapore to work illegally. ICA works together with the Singapore Police Force on a whole-of-Home Team effort to prevent such vice-related activities from taking root in Singapore.