Inflow of foreigners into Singapore ⇒ meant to meet Singapore’s shortage of manpower due to its low fertility rate and ageing population.
| Employment Pass | S-Pass | Work Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign professionals, managers, executives earning at least 4.5k a month with suitable qualifications | Mid level skilled workers earning at least 2.5k a month who meet assessment criteria | Semi skilled migrant workers in the construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard, process or services sector or as domestic helpers |
Concerns of Singaporeans
- heightened competition with foreigners over limited resources
- include Job opportunities, and infrastructure such as public housing and transportation.
Competition (real or perceived) ⇒ led to tensions, unhappiness and negative experiences among groups of people in the country.
Example: SocialStudiesExamples
- 2020 ⇒ survey conducted by REACH ⇒ govt feedback unit ⇒ founded that S’poreans generally agreed it was important for SG to be a regional hub ⇒ as it provides good opportunities for Sporeans.
- also means remaining open to foreigners
Addressing concerns about foreigners in Singapore
| Stricter Workforce Control | Fair Consideration Framework |
|---|---|
| tightened criteria for EP (employment pass) Raised the minimum qualifying salary ⇒ for S pass I.e a foreigner needs to earn a higher min salary before they can get a pass | Employers ⇒ must give fair consideration ⇒ to Singaporeans based on merit. Employers ⇒ who carry out unfair hiring practices ⇒ that favor foreigners ⇒ will be dealt with Employers submitting EP and S pass applications ⇒ need to advertise job vacancies on MyCareersFuture to facilitate job searched by Singaporeans and PRs |
| Address concerns about availability of healthcare resources and public housing and increasingly congested public transport system ⇒ govt has made plans to improve amenities, urban spaces and transport services for Singaporeans. |
Example: LTA master plan 2040 ⇒ aimed at improving connectivity for people between their homes, communities and workplaces. SocialStudiesExamples