SPECIAL IMMIGRATION COUNTERS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

SPECIAL IMMIGRATION COUNTERS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

14.

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Home Affairs given the ageing population, whether the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority will consider dedicating some immigration counters specifically for senior citizens and their family members.

Mr Shanmugam: In 2009, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) cleared 149 million travellers at our Checkpoints. Since the beginning of 2010, more than 122 million travellers have passed through our Checkpoints. In an increasingly dynamic and complex security environment, ICA faces an uphill challenge in ensuring efficient clearance without compromising security, even while we recognise the extra assistance that some senior citizens may require at our Checkpoints.

ICA has in place several measures for senior citizens who need assistance. For example, ICA will allow a family member to accompany the senior citizen when he is at the immigration counter, instead of the latter having to seek immigration clearance on his own. ICA and the Changi Airport Group have also implemented a new joint initiative called Care@Changi to provide facilitated clearance for passengers with special needs such as pregnant women, travellers with infants, wheelchair-bound passengers and elderly persons. Under this initiative, Changi Ambassadors, who are volunteer youths and retirees, will help escort any such passenger in the queue to the Duty Officer or the air-crew immigration counter for facilitated clearance.

Given the diversity of travellers passing through the Checkpoints today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is of the view that adopting a targeted approach to helping those who need assistance without setting up dedicated counters would be more efficient. We will continue to monitor the profile of our Checkpoint users and review Checkpoint operations to ensure an effective border security regime that is also operationally efficient.

Column: 1619