"Employers in Singapore who fall prey to the temptation of cheap labor in order to make a quick profit can exacerbate the problem of illegal employment," Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen told Parliament during the law's approval Tuesday, May 22.

Ng said the number of illegal workers arrested in the city-state increased from 2148 in 1995 to 2868 last year.

"As our economy grows, we can expect the proportion of foreign workers to increase with labor demand, and with it, the temptation to illegally employ foreign workers," he said.

Employment inspectors will now be allowed to arrest suspected illegal workers without a warrant.

Under the new law, the maximum penalty for employers will be a S$15,000 (US$9800; €7290) fine and a year in jail for each illegal worker hired, Ng said.

Employers must also pay an amount equivalent to the evaded government fees for hiring foreign workers. The city-state imposes a levy on the employment of certain types of foreign workers to control their numbers.

Previously, the maximum penalty for hiring illegal workers was a fine of S$22,560 (US$14,750; €10,960) and one year in prison.

Wealthy Singapore is a magnet for jobseekers from poorer countries in the region. Some would-be migrants resort to desperate measures to enter Singapore such as swimming from neighboring Malaysia.

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