Mr Chiam See Tong:

                To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs for the nine-year period since 2000 (a) how many foreigners were successful in their application for permanent residency (PR); (b) how many of these permanent residents have given up their PR status; and (c) how many new PR applications have been received.

DPM and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng:

                 From 2000 to 2008, an average of about 74,500 foreigners submitted applications for PR each year. For the same period, an average of 46,300 applicants were successful in their PR applications each year. An average of 2,200 PRs renounced their PR status over the same period.

2.                     The number of persons applying for PR and the numbers granted PR have been increasing steadily in recent years. This was due to two factors:  the strong economy and the need to augment our population. A booming economy with economic growth of 6 to 8% between 2004 and 2007 also meant that we needed to take in more foreigners to work here. Most of these foreigners are transient, here to work and not to stay long term. But a good many who are well qualified with university degrees or diploma qualifications, skilled personnel and professionals, decided to stay longer and applied for PR. 

3.                      The other reason was to augment our population. As Members are aware, we have a low fertility rate of 1.28. If we close our doors to immigrants, our population will age rapidly and start to decline by 2020. This will affect us adversely. We will lose our economic dynamism and competitiveness as a city state. The burden on Singaporeans will increase.

4.                      The Government recognizes that some Singaporeans feel anxious about the large inflow of foreigners in recent years. We should not think that all foreigners here are PRs. In fact, a very large proportion of these foreigners are non-residents such as foreign workers and foreign students who are here on short-term passes. In other words, they are here on a transient basis and will leave Singapore one day when their services are no longer needed by their employer or when they have finished their studies. There are some who are on long-term visit passes and they are sponsored by Singaporeans. To put this in perspective, as of June 2009, there were about 1,253,000 non-residents in Singapore as compared to 533,000 PRs.

5.                      Singapore needs to bring in a continuing flow of immigrants to augment our population and enhance our economic competitiveness. However, the Government is mindful of the concerns of Singaporeans. We will manage the inflow of immigrants taking into consideration how quickly our society can absorb and integrate these new immigrants without diluting our national identity or weakening our social cohesion. Such a sustained and calibrated inflow of immigrants will ensure that Singaporeans benefit from immigration in the long term.