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Singaporeans urged to be tolerant of expats

Singapore's prime minister warns against rising tide of anti-foreigner sentiment. Around 36 per cent of Singapore's population are from overseas Photo: ALAMY

By Leah Hyslop

10:46AM BST 30 Aug 2012

The prime minister of Singapore has urged citizens to be more tolerant of expats, voicing concern that hostility towards foreigners could damage the Asian city-state’s reputation abroad.

In an annual address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Song said that he was “worried” by the increasing anti-foreigner sentiment being expressed in Singapore.

"I think it's fair enough to express concern, or to disagree with our immigration trends, or to oppose our immigration policies," he said, reported The Wall Street Times.

"But I am worried by some of the nasty views which are expressed, especially online, and especially anonymously. Such outbursts by citizens against foreigners, on the Internet and in public, reflect badly on us [and] damage our international reputation – people think that Singapore is anti-foreigner [and] xenophobic."

The tiny island nation of Singapore has long relied on foreign workers to prop up its prosperous economy and low birth rate. A particularly large surge in immigration over the past decade however means that around 36 per cent of its population are now estimated to be from overseas.


This has led to growing anger from locals, who complain that they are being denied job opportunities while housing prices rocket and public services are squeezed.

Since last year the government has introduced a number of reforms to alleviate the situation, including a 10 per cent extra stamp duty charge for foreigners wanting to buy property on the island and axing a scheme that offered wealthy foreigners permanent residency in exchange for investing in the economy.

Last month, it was declared that from September, foreign workers earning less than S$4,000 (£2,000) a month will no longer be able to bring their spouses and children with them to live in Singapore.

Lois Avery, a British journalist living on the island, said that although there was some public disquiet about the influx of overseas workers, most locals were still “very welcoming” to foreigners.

“Personally, the only glimpses I've had of anti-foreigner sentiment are minor; job ads that request locals only and property ads that specify the preferred nationalities, something I'm not sure you'd get away with in other countries,” she said. “I can empathise with Singaporeans' grievances, given the growing number of expats, but the fact is, the economy here relies on foreign workers.”

