In 2024, S’pore barred over 33K from entering state

Singapore: Singapore denied entry to 33,100 foreigners in 2024 after they were found to pose immigration or security risks to the city state, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Friday.

This was 4,500 more than the 28,600 foreigners refused entry in 2023, added ICA which handled more than 230 million travellers at checkpoints last year, 38 million more than in the year before that.

The ICA said those denied entry were either assessed to potentially overstay or work illegally, or commit crimes in the multi-ethnic island state.

It said the jump in annual visitors was largely due to an increase at Singapore’s land checkpoints, accounting for more than 75 per cent of all travellers.

For example, more than 562,000 land crossings in a single day were logged on December 20, 2024 at the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints, the two bridge-causeway links to Peninsular Malaysia.

The ICA said its New Clearance Concept (NCC) at Changi Airport, with automated lanes and passport-free clearance at the airport and progressively at all sea checkpoints, has helped weed out undesirable visitors.