{
  "id": 16036734,
  "title": "Chinese couple, both 68, stayed illegally in S’pore for around 19 years, turned themselves in after struggling to make ends meet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/chinese-couple-both-68-stayed-illegally-in-spore-for-around-19-years",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T11:44:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/10/chinese-couple-stayed-illegally-singapore/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Chinese couple, both in their late sixties, illegally resided in Singapore for approximately nineteen years before deciding to surrender themselves to the authorities. Ding Hui Yun, aged 68, and her husband Huang Dong Ming, also 68, appeared before the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) to face deportation.\n\nDing was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of S$2,000 in lieu of caning, as she pleaded guilty to violating the Immigration Act and overstaying her special pass for a total of nineteen years, two months, and twenty-three days. Although she successfully completed the fine payment, she was still required to serve an additional twelve days in jail due to her failure to do so.\n\nHuang's court date was set for October 6, but he did not attend due to illness. He faces a charge of violating the Immigration Act and overstaying for a period of eighteen years, ten months, and three days. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 29.\n\nDing initially entered Singapore illegally in May 2007 and was subsequently jailed for four weeks and fined S$1,500 in lieu of caning. Following her release, she was granted a special pass that permitted her to remain in Singapore until mid-July of that year as a prosecution witness. However, she neglected to report her pass expiration and chose to stay in the country, driven by financial hardships within her family in China. She sustained herself by taking up various odd jobs throughout her stay.\n\nOn October 6, Ding and Huang voluntarily turned themselves in to the ICA's repatriation division after struggles with making ends meet. They lacked passports, holding only Chinese household registration documents instead. At court, the prosecutor pressed for the maximum sentence, proposing six months' imprisonment and S$2,000 in lieu of caning. Ding, through an interpreter, earnestly requested leniency, citing her voluntary surrender and her ongoing battle with diabetes. She also appealed for deportation together with her husband, who suffers from high blood pressure, to ensure mutual care during their return journey to China.",
  "summary": "They asked to be deported back together.",
  "key_points": [
    "Chinese couple, both 68, illegally resided in Singapore for 19 years",
    "Ding Hui Yun sentenced to 6 months prison and S$2,000 fine",
    "Huang Dong Ming's court date set for October 6, absent due to illness"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The voluntary surrender of the elderly couple highlights how prolonged economic hardship can eventually force long-term undocumented residents to face legal consequences and deportation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}