KUALA LUMPUR - Singapore will require airlines worldwide to prevent certain travellers from boarding flights to the city-state from January 30 under a new policy aimed at strengthening border security.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said no-boarding directives will apply to all airlines flying to Singapore to stop travellers who fail to meet entry requirements or are deemed “undesirable immigrants” from travelling.

Currently, travellers are typically denied entry only after arriving at a country’s port of entry.

The ICA said the new approach marks a significant shift by preventing potential risks from reaching Singapore in the first place.

“This strengthens Singapore’s border security by keeping potential threats from reaching our shores in the first place,” the authority said.

Under the policy, all travellers are required to submit an electronic arrival card within three days before their intended visit.

The ICA will screen travellers using information from the arrival cards and airline passenger manifests, and will then notify airlines of individuals who are not permitted to enter Singapore.

Airlines will be instructed not to allow such passengers to board flights bound for the country.

Travellers barred from boarding will be required to contact the ICA through its Facebook page to seek approval before arranging a new flight, the authority said.

Airlines that fail to comply with the directive face fines of up to S$100,000 and/or jail terms of up to six months.

Several Thailand-based carriers operate direct flights between Bangkok and Singapore, including Thai Airways International, Thai VietJet, Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways and Thai Lion Air.

Singapore has positioned itself as a regional hub for finance, conventions and entertainment.

According to the Singapore Tourism Board, about 360,000 Thai visitors travelled to Singapore between January and November last year.

Chinese tourists formed the largest group of foreign arrivals at nearly three million, followed by Indonesians at about 2.2 million.