Foreigner seen selling tissues in Yishun gets deported & barred from S'pore

A disabled foreign man seen selling tissues in Yishun was taken away by the police on Sep. 13, 2024.

This apparently happened after a member of the public, concerned about his well-being, had called the police, which inadvertently led to him being taken away.

The man was deported on Sep. 14, and has been barred from re-entering Singapore, confirmed an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesperson.

Missing his left arm and the lower portion of his right arm, the man had been seated next to a row of shops in the vicinity of Block 846, Yishun Ring Road.

Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) reported that this was witnessed by a reader who had spoken to the member of the public who called the police.

A search of the man's belongings by the police revealed that the man had a foreign passport.

The man appeared to be cooperative and calm when he was approached by the police, a nearby shop's owner told Shin Min.

"The man had been seated here quietly selling tissue for over a week and kept to himself," shared the shop owner, who was not named.

"Occasionally, there are some kind-hearted folks who donated money to him directly, without purchasing tissues. Someone even gave him a S$50 note once," the shop owner added.

Shin Min reported that residents of Yishun have been seeing persons with disabilities selling tissues, and are concerned about "foreign beggars" in the area.

One resident shared that he had spotted several persons with disabilities selling tissue near his public housing block over the past month, and that they would usually show up around at 6am and 7am on weekends.

The man added: "I wonder if any of these cases are related to criminal organisations. If it really is the case, they are taking advantage of the kindness of people here, which is very wrong."

Rise in number of foreigners resorting to begging in Singapore

There have been other cases involving people with disabilities who are not local, but were found begging in Singapore.

A 28-year-old man, who claimed to have been disfigured in a fire when he was one-and-a-half years old, was spotted selling tissue along Bugis Street, reported Shin Min.

Claiming he hailed from Henan province in China, the man, admitted that he knew his actions were illegal, but wanted to earn Singapore dollars to support his family back home.

The man would receive about 15 donations from passers-by, before emptying the collection container to entice more donations.

Shop owners in Bugis have reported a rise in foreigners resorting to begging, especially after travel restrictions were lifted after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Foreigners may face deportation

Foreigners who beg for a living are considered "prohibited immigrants", and may face deportation back to their home countries.

According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), foreigners who have been deported cannot return to Singapore.

They will need to seek consent from the Controller of Immigration for subsequent entries into the country.

Top photo from Lianhe Zaobao