Key Content: Reasons for movement of people to Singapore
Immigration Policy
Economic Opportunities
Socio-cultural Environment
(1) IMMIGRATION POLICY IN SINGAPORE
Singapore has long encouraged migration primarily to meet the manpower needs of Singapore.
This legacy of immigration has been shaped by policy from the 1990s till present.
Singapore needs immigrants to ensure a healthy age dependency ratio and improve the situation of declining birth rate that would contribute to a rapidly aging population.
The strategy generally aims to attract a higher-skilled foreign workforce to support the knowledge-based economy, as well as lower-skilled labor for jobs Singaporeans refuse.
Foreign manpower who come to Singapore temporarily are called migrants.
Those who have decided to settle down and met Singapore’s immigration criteria may become citizens or permanent residents
These migrants bring a diversity of cultures, practices and customs from the countries they come from. e.g. apart from the celebration of major festivals, those from other countries such as Halloween and St Patrick’s Day are increasingly popular and widely celebrated.
They also contribute new skills and experience to our economy, bringing with them valuable experiences and business networks that Singapore needs yet might not have.
As a result, workplaces in Singapore will experience more diverse opinions that shape the way we work, contributing to greater diversity in the workplace.
(2) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Singapore has many MNCs and its reputation as a business hub provides employment for many people. It also attracts global businesses to develop new industries here thus contributing to greater socio-economic diversity.
Ease of doing business, growth potential, stable political climate and a well established judiciary system attract global investors and MNCs
When Singapore attracts immigrants looking for employment/ to start a business, these migrants bring in a diversity of cultures, practices and customs from their countries of origin
They also come with skills, valuable experiences and business networks that Singapore needs and might not have. With these varied skills, experiences and cultures, they bring greater diversity to Singapore’s workplaces.
While some are highly skilled and receive high incomes, some are lowly skilled and come to Singapore in search for a better life, but receive lower incomes from their jobs here
The lowly skilled migrant workers cause wage stagnation for lowly skilled Singaporeans, further widening the income gap that is already present in Singapore, resulting in greater socio-economic diversity.
(3) SOCIAL-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT - PROVISION OF IMPORTANT FAMILY SUPPORT
With many immigrants bringing their families to settle down in Singapore, this has led to an increase in the sociocultural diversity of Singapore society, which is now home to a wide range of ethnic communities and cultures all over the world, which also help foreigners feel at home.
Many ethnic communities gather in certain districts, helping them to strengthen ties.
E.g. Korean community in Singapore mostly found in Bukit Timah, while Korean eateries and shops may be found in Bukit Timah Plaza and Novena Square2
When Koreans migrate to Singapore, they also bring along their cuisine e.g. Korean fried chicken and pop cultures e.g. K-Pop thus leading to greater diversity
The presence of these communities in Singapore reassures the decisions of many more Koreans to may choose to migrate here because they know they can count on these communities of their country of origin for support when they need help
In 2014, Singapore was ranked second safest country in the world based on social order and security and tenth overall based on categories like criminal justice and absence of corruption.
Immigrants also consider safety and security when deciding where to work or live.
This low crime rate and safe environment also attracts foreigners from many different countries to work or settle down here because their lives are safeguarded and risks and dangers are kept to a minimum.
Singapore’s education system is also of high quality and standard, attracting foreign students.
Many migrants move here for a quality education for themselves or for their children as it is well-known for quality education, attracting about 80000 international students in 2014.
The international students share their experiences and learning, as well as their cultures, practices and customs from their countries of origin, bringing along skills that Singapore needs and might not have, thus increasing diversity in the classroom
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivatives 4.0 International License. (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
Non Commercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
No Derivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.