Many want Singapore citizenship because of their children

Foreign Brides in Singapore

But few are the highly skilled, educated immigrants that Govt wants

By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 4 Feb 2013

HER husband and son are Singaporeans so Madam Hyunh Thanh Loan would like to be a citizen too.

The 28-year-old Vietnamese, who has been living in Singapore on a long-term visit pass since she married a Singaporean salesman three years ago, is now thinking of applying for citizenship.

Said the housewife: "Now my life is here with my husband and baby. It will be good if I can become a Singaporean also."

Madam Loan is the face of a growing statistic in Singapore.

Today, some four in 10 marriages are between Singaporeans and non-citizens. This is in contrast to a decade ago, when only two in 10 marriages had such pairings.

Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu said immigration policies would "take into consideration this group as potential Singapore citizens".

But she added that the Government would neither encourage nor discourage Singaporeans from marrying foreigners.

She was taking questions on the proposed immigration policy outlined in the Population White Paper released last week, which projected the population growing to 6.9 million by 2030, of which 55 per cent would be citizens.

The paper proposed taking in 15,000 to 25,000 new citizens and 30,000 permanent residents a year.

In 2011, nearly three-quarters of the 8,949 marriages between citizens and non-citizens were between a Singaporean man and a woman from another part of Asia.

Many foreign wives want to become citizens as they have Singaporean children and want to sink their roots here.

The problem, said counsellors and researchers, is that not many of them belong to the category of highly skilled, educated immigrants that the Government hopes to attract.

National Population and Talent Division figures show that these women tend to be aged below 40 and have only secondary school or post-secondary qualifications.

Less than a quarter have university degrees.

Mr Jeremy Khoo, executive director of the Catholic Church's Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, said many of the foreign wives his group has helped have problems getting permanent residency, let alone citizenship.

"It is quite tough for them, there isn't a sense of stability and security as they have to keep renewing their visit passes," he added.

Some feel that the Government could be more flexible and grant these women citizenship or at least permanent residency.

This would mean that they could qualify for medical and housing subsidies, said Ms Azmeen Moiz, a lawyer and volunteer with Aware who is working on a research paper on foreign wives.

Said migration expert Leong Chan Hoong of the Institute of Policy Studies: "They may not contribute much economically. But they do so socially, by raising and taking care of their children who are Singaporeans."

He added that such foreigners tend to be seen as more assimilated into society.

He conducted a study last year which asked Singaporeans what factors are important in viewing an immigrant as a fellow Singaporean.

Two factors that scored highly were if the foreigners have children who are Singapore citizens, and if their sons do national service.

Still, there is concern over sham marriages, which have been increasing.

There were 12 such cases in the first half of last year, compared to four or five annually in the five years before that.

But advocates pointed out that more safeguards have been put in place, with an amendment to the Immigration Act passed last year that makes it illegal for anyone to engage or assist in a sham marriage.

Convicted offenders face a fine of up to $10,000, or a jail term of up to 10 years, or both.

To weed out such cases, advocates said the Government could give citizenship only to those who have Singaporean children and who have lived in the country for a number of years.

Said Ms Moiz: "It is the right thing to do. These foreign wives have a vested interest in making Singapore their permanent home, as they are birthing a new generation of Singaporean kids."

BRINGING UP DAUGHTER

I want my girl to grow up here, and I want to be with her, make sure she has a good education and a good life. It will be easier to stay with her if I become a citizen.
- Madam Natchita Khuanha, 43, a Thai massage therapist who is married to a Singaporean restaurant assistant manager. They have a three-year-old daughter

IN A DILEMMA

I have spent the majority of my working life here, but feel that people may still never accept me fully as a citizen because I was not born here and never did national service. Should I give up my British citizenship to become someone regarded as a half-citizen in another country?
- Mr Mark Ashworth, 32, a British software designer who is married to a Singaporean researcher. He would take up Singapore citizenship if dual citizenship is allowed

Foreign Grooms in Singapore
Home in Singapore, heart in homeland
By Tessa Wong, The Straits Times, 4 Feb 2013

FRENCH national Samuel Guerville has spent nearly half his life in Singapore and considers it his second home.

The 39-year-old sales director, who is married to a Singaporean and has two children, declares he would be "the first in line" to become a Singaporean - if he could have dual citizenship.

"I am French, my parents are French, why should I erase my history and identity just to get a Singapore passport?" he said.

Unlike their female counterparts, foreign grooms here tend to be in two minds about taking up citizenship. While they consider Singapore as their home, they also have an equally strong sense of identity tied to their country of origin.

Most of them are well-educated, with more than half holding university degrees.

Nearly two-thirds come from Asia. But the proportion of Asian grooms has been shrinking as more Singapore women marry those from places such as Europe, the United States and Australia.

Some are willing to be Singapore citizens if they can have dual citizenship. They also want their children to retain dual citizenship as currently they have to make a choice when they turn 21.

Government leaders have said that Singapore cannot allow dual citizenship for security reasons, as this group would have the option of leaving when there is an emergency here.

But migration expert Leong Chan Hoong pointed out that with more Singaporeans becoming highly skilled and mobile, it is becoming easier to leave in times of crisis even if one does not have dual citizenship.

Sociologist Paulin Straughan said the prospect of a shrinking citizen core, coupled with a growing number of Singaporeans marrying foreigners and having children, should prompt a rethink of policies.

Her suggestion is that the Government should grant dual citizenship based on factors such as the length of time spent in Singapore, and whether the person has a family here. It could also allow children to renew their dual citizenship status every 10 years.

Dr Straughan, who is married to an American and has two sons who have dual citizenship and must decide which citizenship to give up when they turn 21, said:

"How does it make sense to lose a Singaporean child who has grown up here, while giving citizenship to newcomers? We should not be too dogmatic and rigid in the way we perceive the responsibilities of a citizen."

Changing perception on inflow of foreigners
The White Paper issued this week projects a population of up to 6.9 million here by 2030, with citizens making up 55 per cent of all people here. The Government expects to take in 15,000 to 25,000 new citizens and 30,000 permanent residents a year. Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) who was vice-chairman of the 2010 Reach Policy Study Workgroup on integration, speaks to Leonard Lim about the challenges ahead.
The Straits Times, 2 Feb 2013

What are your thoughts on the figures?

It's important to analyse the breakdown more carefully: 1996, that's the first time we crossed the 30,000 mark for new permanent residents (PRs).

For eight, nine years, we had more than 30,000 PRs a year. When we first crossed that threshold, it was said that with so many PRs and immigrants, it would create social disruption and tension, but that didn't happen. It was only in recent years that we see a lot more of that. If you just look at the PR and new citizen component, those figures are sustainable, they are realistic.

However, the other component that needs more in-depth discussion is the number of non-residents. It has steadily increased over the last 15 years, and if you project to 2030, it will go up even higher. In 2000, we had about 750,000 non-residents. In 2010, 1.5 million - it doubled. In 2030, 2.5 million. It will increase from the current 25 per cent to 36 per cent of the total population. But there's very little discussion on this component.

It would be good if policymakers could provide more clarity and detail on these 2.5 million, their profiles, which countries they are from, their skill sets, how do we accommodate them - in dormitories, through the rental market? When we hit the 2.5 million mark in 2030, what will happen next? Will the proportion of non-residents increase beyond 36 per cent? Personally, I am worried if this will dilute the Singaporean core.


Some have expressed similar concerns. Do you see social tensions ahead?

I don't think Singaporeans are xenophobic now. I think they are by and large inclusive. If there's any resentment it's not directed at foreigners, but the foreigner policy.

Forty per cent of all marriages involve someone of a different nationality. At the turn of every corner, you're bound to see a foreigner serving you, in a restaurant, a petrol kiosk or a sales counter. If the relations between Singaporeans and foreigners are really that antagonistic, people will be unhappy from the time they wake up to the time they sleep.

In our research, we find that Singaporeans by and large appreciate foreigners' contributions, but at the same time express concern that some of the foreigners may or may not be committed to Singapore.


What are your thoughts on integration efforts so far? What would you suggest can be done to improve social cohesion?

So far, what we've tried to do is "deficit management". We try to patch up the gaps between locals and foreigners by having more social programmes, activities to bring the two groups together. At one level that is helpful. But at the other end, we probably need to go beyond this and talk about spontaneous shared experiences - things that people do together without planning, and regardless if it involves joy, pain, or anxiety.

Grassroots integration carnivals and activities can bring people from different nationalities and races together, but these are very controlled, artificial environments. It's important that the social interactions be done in a more day-to-day and casual fashion.

It is also important that we don't target certain groups - immigrants from certain countries - as it becomes very contrived. Say, for a Chinese New Year gathering for everyone in the block, invite everyone. Don't spell it out in black and white that this is for integration.

Second, currently, children of expatriates or PRs can now study in local international schools. They will not have common shared experiences from socialising with Singaporean kids in the national schools. They will not get the opportunities to mingle with heartlanders.


Is it possible to make it mandatory for second-generation PRs, that if they want to be PRs, they have to go through mainstream schools, as opposed to allowing them to enrol in international schools?

Third, national service. There's the perception that this is an inequitable policy which is biased in favour of foreigners. For second-generation PRs, they have the option of giving up permanent residency before enlistment, there's an escape clause. For Singaporeans, there's no option out.

Also, can the Government do less in all this? A lot of the integration now is driven from the top down. Can we decentralise it, make it citizen-driven? Perhaps get schools and companies to do such things on their own, take responsibility to see that foreigners are inducted well rather than relying on the Government.

Some academics suggested an "immigration bonus", given only to Singaporeans from levies collected from work permit and SPass holders. Would this work?

I'm not in favour of an immigration bonus, it should not be transactional. It should be about the emotive connection. Going back to national service, it is probably one of the few institutions that bring people together, and is a social leveller. It's the perfect embodiment of equity.

In recent studies conducted by the Reach policy study workgroup and IPS, NS emerged as a key bugbear in the foreign-local divide. The Ministry of Defence revealed that one-third of NS-liable 18-year-old PRs chose not to fulfil their obligations, and gave up their residency.

Can NS be tweaked? Make it mandatory for children of PRs to serve NS, and make their parents put up a security bond that will be forfeited if their kids do not serve NS. Maybe the parents could also be made to give up their PR status if that happens, though that might be too draconian. But this is the elephant in the room.


The Government has defended the need for foreigners, saying they are necessary to keep the economy humming and provide good jobs for Singaporeans. But this seems to not sway many. What would you suggest?

It's divisive now, as people see this as part of the political divide. Some feel that the Government is not on the side of Singaporeans in all of these.

If you want to change that perception, then you've to think harder on how that message is to be brought to Singaporeans.

If policymakers want to make an impact, it might be more effective if they enlist people with different political inclinations. If this population issue matters to everybody, it ought to be something to be tackled collectively.