Lianhe Wanbao carried an article about foreign spouses today. Over the years, I have received quite a number of appeals for long(er) term stay by Singaporeans for their foreign spouses. In some cases, the circumstances were complex, involving former spouses (whom we must be fair to) or suspected scams (which we must guard against). These cases will need careful consideration by the authorities. In others, there were impassioned pleas for the Long Term Visit Pass/ Long Term Visit Pass Plus/ Permanent Residency to be granted to their foreign spouses so that the family can be whole. I am sympathetic towards appeals in the latter category and hope that the authorities can consider a more compassionate solution to address this issue. I had also spoken on this issue several times in Parliament. Singaporeans today are highly mobile and it will not be surprising if we observe more Singaporeans marrying foreigners. Hence, better to contemplate an up-to-date solution in preparation for the future than to react later. The following was what I had suggested in Parliament earlier this year during the Committee of Supply Debate: Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade): Mdm Chair, last year, we debated on the Population White Paper and the House spoke at length from building a roadmap towards a sustainable population for an ageing Singapore. The pillars set out in the Paper were to build a strong Singaporean core. Many Singaporeans will agree, and I agree with this too. The good news is that apparently, most Singaporeans desire to get married and have kids. The recent Marriage and Parenthood study conducted in 2012 indicated that 83% of singles intend to get married and 84% of those who are married intend to have two or more children. To enable this, we must continue to shift our society and foster a pro-family culture by starting and raising a family take centre stage in our life choices. This involves aligning fundamental values, societal attitudes, practices exercised in settings such as at the workplace and, of course, Government policies. The Government has done a commendable job so far in being pro-Singaporean families with a generous Marriage and Parenthood Package, along with all the Baby Bonuses and the likes in the past. However, with so much emphasis on families, there is still one group of Singaporean families who may have been neglected. I am referring to the Singaporean families with foreign spouses. While they are not pure Singaporean families in that one spouse is foreign, as a whole they contribute to Singaporean core too. The number of Singaporeans married to foreign spouses has been on the rise. Marriages registered between a Singaporean and a non-Singaporean make up about four in 10 of all marriages involving a Singaporean. In 2012 alone, there were about 7,017 marriages between Singaporeans and foreigners, up by about 15% from 2011’s figure. This is significant and possibly suggesting that such marriages will become a common sight. It may not be the majority but perhaps a more common sight in future. However, the certainty of long-term residency for the foreign spouses is a significant issue. There was a total of about 11,736 Long Term Visit Pass and Long Term Visit Pass Plus granted in 2012. It is a significant figure. However, what happens after these Long Term Passes expire? Not all graduates even become PRs; some never do. But the point is there are still families who are still grappling with much uncertainty and cannot plan their lives or do so confidently. Because of the lack of certainty of stay, some who are financially sound become financially vulnerable. While some who are already struggling are now struggling even more because of single income source and travelling costs incurred by the foreign spouse. I give some examples during my Budget debate yesterday. Hence, there is great anxiety, frustration and fear of being separated. The problem is worse if they have children together. The hurdles that such couples have to overcome make me wonder if there is an indirect way of telling people who they can or cannot marry. Every country has its set of policies that not only reflect prevalent societal attitudes but is also a means of social engineering. This is understandable and perhaps the right thing to do for a government chosen by its people. But in this context, I struggle to reconcile the national move to increase and strengthen the Singaporean and enable families with difficulties, especially the low-income families with foreign spouses. Marriage is sacred and everyone should have the freedom to choose who he or she wants to marry. Once married, it is a commitment and there are obligations that they have to each other. None of the Singaporeans with foreign spouses I met so far has thought of abandoning their foreign spouses, though some wondered if they should give up Singapore citizenship altogether to migrate overseas just so that the family can be whole. These Singaporeans have chosen their foreign spouses to share their lives with and these foreign spouses have also chosen to give up their homelands to be part of Singapore. Moreover, should they have children, the children would be born as Singaporeans given that at least one of the parents is a Singapore citizen. Hence, would the Government consider an immigration progression roadmap specifically awarding Long Term Visit Pass Plus to foreign spouses upon marriage and then permanent residency after a definitive period of, say, 10 years? This will offer a greater sense of security to these families. There are, of course, concerns over marriage of convenience or engagement in illicit activities. Heavy penalties such as immediate revocation of the pass and permanent entry ban can be imposed in such instances. There are also concerns over the financial health of the family because of the additional family member in an already financially needy family. The unspoken question among some is perhaps whether this would inadvertently increase the financial liability to our nation. In light of this, I suggest that we incentivise these families by granting PR earlier if the foreign spouse gives birth to a Singaporean child and perhaps even earlier, if he or she finds a job with a stable income. The latter would help to strengthen a low-income family’s financial position. Assuming a scenario where the foreign spouse finds a low-skilled job as a stall helper, the pay can range from about $800 to $1,000 per month. The sum of money will significantly enhance the family’s income and bring more benefit than our usual PA assistance which would have been likely in a single-income source family. Madam, marriage is sacred. It has to be a union between two consenting individuals. It is a personal choice. Against a backdrop of strengthening Singaporean core, I hope the Government will consider this favourably. *** wanbao.sg/local/story20141020-39781
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 09:46:08 +0000
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