Debated in Parliament on 16 Feb 2024.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how long are passengers allowed to stay within the transit area of Changi Airport; (b) how are security checks performed to ensure passengers do not stay beyond the allotted duration within the transit area; and (c) whether the Ministry has stepped up its measures to prevent long-stay passengers at the transit area of Changi Airport, such as the incident in 2019 where two YouTubers had stayed for four days at the transit area of Changi Airport.
Passengers are allowed to stay within the transit area of the airport only if it is a temporary layover prior to a planned departure. Our security agencies conduct regular patrols and look out for people who may not have a valid reason to be in the transit area.
The Airport Police also engages the airport community, including through training, to get them to keep a lookout for suspicious behaviours and unattended items.
For example, transit lounge operators will report to the Airport Police when travellers entering the lounge do not have a valid air ticket for a departing flight. Airline staff will likewise alert the Airport Police when passengers do not turn up for their flight.
Lastly, the Airport Police works with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to identify, through ICA's records, persons who may have been in the transit area without a valid reason.
Assoc Prof Lim.
Sir, just a quick clarification, that there is currently no stipulated time limit associated with staying in the area? The reason why I asked is because, naturally, if there is no fixed time that individuals are allowed to stay in the area, then it raises concerns about security, which is ultimately what inspired this question.
Sir, I thank the Member for the question. Indeed, the transit passengers are allowed to stay in the transit area up to 72 hours to wait for their connecting flights. So, passengers departing from Singapore will be allowed entry into the transit area if their flight is departing within the next 24 hours.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
If for instance, there is a further delay in the flight for whatever unforeseen reason, there are some mechanisms to encourage these passengers to subsequently exit the transit area and enter into Singapore?
Sir, I thank the Member for the question. These are things that depending on the scenario, we will engage the passengers accordingly and we will inform them. The airlines as well as the Airport Police and ICA will know the situation and will address it accordingly.
Mr Dennis Tan.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a quick clarification with the Minister of State. So, does the ICA or the Airport Police track passengers who were, for example, scheduled to take a flight within the next 24 hours, and for some unforeseeable reasons, their flight was cancelled or postponed, and it goes beyond the 72 hours, is there a special mechanism to track such passengers?
Sir, I thank the Member for the question. Yes, indeed. We work very closely with the airline, the Airport Police and the community within the airport. So, I want to assure Members that we are aware of such situations if they arise and we will also work with the passengers to assure them that they can go to various places and not to worry about it.
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