MOM investigating 15 work pass holders who declared qualifications from private university in India

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is currently investigating 15 work pass holders who declared qualifications from a private university in India.

The 15 individuals are currently employed in Singapore and had declared qualifications from Manav Bharti University in their work pass applications, said MOM.

"If found to have falsely declared their educational qualifications, their work passes will be immediately revoked and they will be permanently barred from employment in Singapore," said an MOM spokesperson in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 17).

Employers have the primary responsibility to ensure the "authenticity and quality" of the academic qualifications of the foreigners they wish to hire, said MOM. 

Before making a work pass application, the employer should have already evaluated the candidate, including his qualifications, to ensure the applicant has the right skills and qualifications for the position 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," said the ministry. 

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

"We scrutinise 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," it said. 

MOM also verifies the authenticity of submitted qualifications directly through the issuing institutions or third-party screening agencies. 

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

MOM will revoke the work passes of foreign employees found to have submitted forged documents in their work pass applications. They will also be permanently barred from working in Singapore. 

They may also be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. 

If found guilty, they face a fine of up to S$20,000, a jail term of up to two years or both. 

MOM said in the last five years, an average of 660 foreigners have been permanently barred each year from working in Singapore for submitting fake education qualifications 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.