S’pore needs to attract new immigrants: DPM Teo

Identifying the year ahead as a "demographic tipping point" for Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Teo Chee Hean emphasised the need for the country to continue attracting new immigrants.

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Teo said this is because the first cohort of post-war baby boomers — those born between 1947 and 1965 —will start turning 65 from this year.

Singapore will experience an "unprecedented age shift, as over 900,000 baby boomers, more than a quarter of the current citizen population, retire from the workforce and enter their silver years" from now till 2030, Teo explained, as reported by CNA.

Speaking in Parliament during the Committee of Supply Debate, the Minister of Home Affairs also said that without immigration, more than 1 in 4 citizens will be 65 years old and older in 2030 given the current birth rates.

According to CNA, the median age of Singapore citizens will rise to from 39 today to 47, then to 53 post-2030.

This means that there will be fewer working adults supporting the older citizens.

"Without immigration, we will face a shrinking workforce and the prospect of a shrinking economy," said Teo. "This challenging situation is compounded by the need to support a significantly larger elderly population at the same time."

What is most important now is to "develop a sustainable population strategy that will maintain the vitality of Singapore, strengthen our harmonious multi-ethnic society, and enable Singaporeans to achieve their life aspirations", added the DPM.

When asked by Intan Azura Mokhtar, MP for Ang Mo Kio, if the ministry grants permanent residence (PR) more easily to the foreign spouses of Singaporeans, Teo said that it is not a given.

Various factors are taken into consideration when the application for PR for the non-citizen spouse is assessed, including the duration of marriage, his or her length of stay in Singapore and whether the married couple has children who are Singapore citizens.

Citizens who sponsor their foreign spouses for PR status will also have to show that they are able to support them financially, Teo added.

Those who do not qualify for PR status may be granted a Long Term Visit Pass, which allows them to seek employment here.

The ministry is currently studying how to further help Singaporean families with foreign spouses, especially those with children who are citizens, Teo added.