The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating 15 work pass holders who are currently working in Singapore and had declared qualifications from Manav Bharti University in their work pass applications.

Could have their work passes revoked

In a Feb. 16 press release, MOM said that their work passes will be immediately revoked and they will be permanently barred from employment in Singapore if found to have falsely declared their educational qualifications.

MOM may also prosecute them under Singapore's Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

If found guilty, an offender may be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$20,000, or both.

Reports of fake degrees

Manav Bharti University is a private university in India.

On Feb. 1, Times of India reported that the university had sold 36,000 fake degree certificates across 17 states in over 11 years.

This was discovered when the Indian police were conducting an investigation into a fake degree case.

It was also discovered that out of the total 41,000 degrees issued by the university, only 5,000 have been found to be genuine so far.

Employers have primary responsibility

MOM said in its press release that employers "have the primary responsibility" to ensure the authenticity and quality of the academic qualifications of the foreigners they wish to hire.

Before making an application for a work pass, MOM said that the employer should have already evaluated the candidate, including his qualifications.

This is to ensure that the applicant has the right skills and qualification for the position they applied.

"The majority of employers take this role seriously as it is in their interest to have a rigorous selection and recruitment process in place to ensure qualified candidates," added MOM.

MOM conducts its own checks

As an additional safeguard to uphold the integrity of the work pass framework, MOM said that it conducts its own checks and verifications after the employer submits the academic documents.

MOM scrutinises higher-risk academic institutions, companies and individuals more closely, conduct additional checks and require submission of verification proof of the qualifications declared in selected applications.

The ministry will also verify the authenticity of submitted qualifications directly through the issuing institutions or third-party screening agencies.

In addition, MOM said that it receives and acts on reports from employers who discover that they have been misled after the work pass holder has arrived.

In the last five years, MOM said that an average of 660 foreigners were permanently barred each year from working in Singapore because they had submitted fake educational qualification in their work pass applications.

Over the same period, an average of eight foreigners each year were convicted and penalised by the courts for false declarations of educational qualifications.

Top images from MOM/FB & Google Maps.