CITIZENSHIP AND PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR FOREIGN SPOUSES (Review of policy)

Dr Toh Keng Kiat asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will review the policy on citizenship and permanent residence for foreign spouses as the increasing number of Singaporean males going abroad as expatriates will aggravate the marital problems of Singaporean females, with both ending up marrying foreigners.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, we have liberalised our immigration policies in recent years. For example, while five years ago, slightly more than half of the PR applications from spouses of Singaporean citizens were approved, the position now is that the vast majority (75%) of applications from foreign spouses are approved.

As for citizenship, we are also liberal. More than 90% of the citizenship applications by foreign spouses are approved.

The Government will constantly keep under review its immigration policies and make adjustments, whenever necessary, for our national interests.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Sir, would the Minister consider granting Singapore citizenship to children of Singaporean mothers and foreign fathers but born outside Singapore, as this would help the Singaporean woman to return home with the children if she becomes a widow or a divorcee?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry and the Citizenship Registry are very liberal in these cases because there are ample provisions in the Constitution for the Registry of Citizenship to grant citizenship in such cases.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Sir, would the Minister consider spelling out the criteria for eligibility for PR and citizenship, instead of on a case-by-case basis?

Prof. Jayakumar: Sir, the broad policies are quite well known and have been articulated. If there is any particular area that the Member feels is not sufficiently clear, she can either take it up in a subsequent Question for Oral Answer or raise it with my Ministry and we will look into it.

Dr Toh Keng Kiat: Sir, may I ask the Minister: how many of these successful applicants with foreign spouses were males and how many were females?

Prof. Jayakumar: I do not have the details but I do recall that in both cases the percentage now is very high. It is either in the high 60s percentage or in the 70s percentage.