OF 5,400 women foreigners were arrested for vice-related activities last year, 4,900 or 91 per cent were in Singapore on social visit passes, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Associate Prof Ho Peng Kee. As a percentage of all social visit passes issued last year, the number of such arrests represents an abuse rate of 0.03 per cent.

'There will always be a very small number among those who come to Singapore who enter under the pretext of social visits but engage in vice activities. This is a reality that we should expect with an open economy and with tourism as one of our key economic drivers,' said Prof Ho.

He, however, assured the House that the Ministry of Home Affairs has in place measures to detect and prevent sex workers from entering Singapore as far as possible under the guise of social visitors. For example, he said certain nationalities are required to apply for visas prior to entering Singapore.

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