41,800 travellers denied entry into S'pore from Jan. to Nov. 2025, up 13,200 from 2023

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has banned 41,800 foreign travellers from entering Singapore from January to November 2025.

This was up from 33,100 over the same period in 2024, and 28,600 from 2023 according to Lianhe Zaobao.

These numbers precede the upcoming no-boarding directive in 2026.

The no-boarding directive will instruct transport operators to deny boarding to high-risk travellers on transportation bound for Singapore.

According to The Straits Times, from January 2026, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and AirAsia will implement the no-boarding directive to bar travellers from boarding their flights if they are found to be ineligible for entry into Singapore.

According to Zaobao, the authorities did not reveal why the number of people denied entry had increased significantly, nor provide information, such as their nationalities.

Foreign travellers denied entry included those who had previously committed crimes in Singapore and were banned from entering the country but were attempting to enter under another identity, those who posed a threat or risk to public safety, and those at risk of immigration offences, such as those who might overstay their visas or work illegally while in Singapore.

Image from ICA