Singapore is not party to any of the key international legal instruments and conventions dedicated to refugee protection specifically.

While Singapore is not party to key international refugee protection instruments, Singapore is obligated to respect the international customary legal principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits any country from deporting any person to a country where they face the threat of persecution. 

Moreover, Singapore has ratified several international legal instruments that also relate to treatment of refugees, including the:

• Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which protects children’s rights and obliges public bodies to consider children’s best interests. 
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which sets out provisions to ensure women’s full enjoyment of human rights on an equal basis with men. 
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which obliges signatory states to take action to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which seeks to eliminate disability discrimination and safeguard the rights of disabled people.

There is no national legal framework for the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers in Singapore, nor any transposition of the international customary legal principle of non-refoulement into national legislation. 

UNHCR conducts registration and Refugee Status Determination (RSD) remotely for asylum seekers in Singapore and undertakes the search for durable solutions. The Government of Singapore may, on a case-by-case basis, cooperate with UNHCR for refugees to be resettled to a third country. However, refugees registered with UNHCR do not benefit from legal status or protection in Singapore itself. 

In the absence of any national asylum systems or corresponding adjudication structures in Singapore, it is likely that some asylum-seekers may have been deported or refouled upon arrival in Singapore. Refugees and asylum-seekers who enter and/or remain in Singapore irregularly may be prosecuted and held in detention prior to deportation under the national legal framework set out below, unless UNHCR is provided with access and a third country solution is identified for them.

Under the 1959 Immigration Act, any persons (including refugees and asylum seekers) who enter Singapore other than through approved routes and with valid travel documents (including a Singapore visa if required) may be subject to penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and mandatory caning. Unlawful entry into Singapore or entry by any persons who are not in possession of valid travel documents or are in possession of forged or altered travel documents are “prohibited immigrants” for the purposes of the 1959 Immigration Act. 

The 1990 Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) regulates the employment of foreign employees, including responsibilities relating to work passes (including applications, cancellations, medical insurance, levy and repatriation matters). The EFMA includes specific provisions to protect the rights and well-being of foreign workers, including guidelines for their treatment and entitlements. Migrant domestic workers have additional protections under the EFMA.

The 2019 Work Injury Compensation Act regulates the process for employees to claim compensation for injuries sustained in the course of their employment. It covers both manual and non-manual workers, regardless of their salary level, and is designed to ensure that employees receive timely compensation for work-related injuries or diseases without the need for lengthy legal proceedings.