Woman who lived illegally in Singapore for 19 years finally surrenders after running out of money

A 68-year-old Chinese woman, Ding Hui Yun, was sentenced to six months in jail and fined S$2,000 for overstaying her special pass in Singapore for nearly two decades.

Initially allowed to stay as a prosecution witness, she did not report for repatriation in 2007 and remained illegally, working odd jobs.

Facing financial difficulties, she voluntarily surrendered to immigration authorities, requesting leniency due to her poor health and seeking repatriation with her husband, also accused of illegal stay.

The court, however, stressed the need for deterrence and noted her repeat offence, imposing the maximum penalty.

SINGAPORE, Oct 21 — A Chinese woman allowed to stay in Singapore as a prosecution witness instead spent the next 19 years living there illegally, working odd jobs until she ran out of money and surrendered to immigration authorities.

Ding Hui Yun, 68, was supposed to return to China in 2007 after her special pass expired but failed to report for repatriation, remaining in Singapore for nearly two decades.

Her extraordinary overstay ended on October 6 when she turned herself in alongside her husband, who is also accused of living illegally in Singapore for almost as long.

Ding was sentenced today to six months in jail and fined S$2,000 (RM6,385) after pleading guilty to overstaying her special pass, according to Singapore-based news organisation CNA.

The court heard that Ding was first convicted of an immigration offence in May 2007 and sentenced to four weeks in jail and a S$1,500 fine in lieu of caning.

After serving her sentence, she was required to remain in Singapore as a prosecution witness for the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

She was issued a special pass in June 2007, subsequently extended until mid-July that year.

However, instead of reporting for repatriation when the pass expired, Ding stayed on.

Prosecutors said she wanted to avoid returning to China because her family was in debt and she feared facing her creditors.

For the next 19 years, two months and 23 days, she remained in Singapore illegally, supporting herself through odd jobs.

It was only when she could no longer make ends meet that she surrendered.

Appearing in court through a Mandarin interpreter, Ding pleaded for leniency, citing her poor health and voluntary surrender.

“I am suffering from diabetes and on account of the fact that I turned myself in, I am pleading with your honour for a lighter sentence,” she said.

She also appealed to be sent back to China with her husband, who suffers from hypertension.

“My husband suffers from hypertension and I hope after we have both finished serving our sentence we will be allowed to be repatriated together so we can look after each other on our flight home.”

The prosecution confirmed that her husband had been due to plead guilty to a similar offence today but was unable to attend court because he was ill.

“We note her request to be repatriated together with her husband,” the prosecutor said.

Ding also revealed that neither she nor her husband had a passport and asked the judge for her husband’s mobile phone number.

But District Judge Janet Wang rejected her plea for a lighter sentence, noting that such immigration offences were difficult to detect and warranted deterrent punishment.

The judge pointed out that Ding was a repeat offender and that her illegal stay was substantial.

Her husband is expected to plead guilty next week to a charge of remaining illegally in Singapore for more than 18 years and 10 months.

Ding received the maximum six-month jail term and a S$2,000 fine in lieu of caning. She faces another 12 days behind bars if she fails to pay the fine.

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一名68岁的中国女子丁慧云因在新加坡逾期居留近20年而被判处6个月监禁并罚款2000新元。

最初她被允许作为控方证人留下，但她没有在 2007 年报到遣返，而是非法滞留，靠打零工为生。

由于面临经济困难，她主动向移民当局投案，请求宽大处理，理由是她身体不好，并希望与同样被指控非法居留的丈夫一起遣返回国。

然而，法院强调了威慑的必要性，并注意到她屡犯不改，因此判处了最高刑罚。

新加坡，10 月 21 日——一名获准留在新加坡作为控方证人的中国女子，却在接下来的 19 年里非法居住在那里，靠打零工度日，直到身无分文才向移民局自首。

68岁的丁慧云本应在2007年特殊通行证到期后返回中国，但她没有报到遣返，在新加坡滞留了近20年。

她非同寻常的逾期居留于 10 月 6 日结束，当天她与丈夫一同自首，她的丈夫也被指控在新加坡非法居住了几乎同样长的时间。

据新加坡新闻机构CNA报道，丁某今天被判处六个月监禁，并被罚款2000新加坡元（6385令吉），此前她承认自己逾期滞留。

法庭获悉，丁某于 2007 年 5 月首次因违反移民法被定罪，被判处 4 周监禁和 1500 新元罚款，以代替鞭刑。

服刑期满后，她被要求留在新加坡，作为移民与关卡局（ICA）的控方证人。

2007 年 6 月，她获得了一张特别通行证，随后通行证被延长至同年 7 月中旬。

然而，丁在通行证到期后并没有报到遣返，而是留了下来。

检方称，她不想回中国，因为她家负债累累，她害怕面对债主。

在接下来的 19 年 2 个月零 23 天里，她非法滞留在新加坡，靠打零工维持生计。

直到她再也无法维持生计时，她才投降了。

丁某通过普通话翻译出庭，请求法庭从轻发落，理由是她身体不好，而且是自愿投案。

“我患有糖尿病，而且由于我是自首的，我恳请法官大人从轻发落，”她说。

她还请求与患有高血压的丈夫一起返回中国。

“我丈夫患有高血压，我希望我们服刑期满后能够一起遣返回国，这样我们就可以在回家的航班上互相照顾。”

检方证实，她的丈夫原本应该在今天对类似的罪行认罪，但因病无法出庭。

检察官说：“我们注意到她要求与丈夫一起遣返回国。”

丁女士还透露，她和丈夫都没有护照，并向法官索要了她丈夫的手机号码。

但地方法官珍妮特·王驳回了她要求从轻判刑的请求，指出此类移民犯罪难以发现，需要予以威慑性惩罚。

法官指出，丁某是惯犯，而且她的非法滞留时间相当长。

她的丈夫预计将于下周对非法滞留在新加坡超过 18 年 10 个月的指控认罪。

丁某被判处最高刑期六个月监禁，并处以2000新元罚款代替鞭刑。如果她未能缴纳罚款，将面临额外12天的监禁。

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