Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has outlined the importance of immigration to Singapore, saying the Republic needs new citizens for a number of reasons.
One of them is to keep our economy growing, as well as to enrich society, he said.
Source: MDDI via Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
Mr Lee was speaking during the Teck Ghee Citizenship Ceremony, held at the Nanyang Polytechnic Auditorium on Sunday (9 March).
During the event, he welcomed more than 200 new citizens, he said in a Facebook post.
Source: MDDI via Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
Many of them were young and had been contributing to society in different ways, he added.
In his speech at the ceremony, Mr Lee said it “makes sense for Singapore to welcome new citizens”.
This is because we’re a small island with no natural resources, population or hinterland to fall back on, unlike larger nations.
Thus, we can only rely on our people for a living.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office
Worse still, Singaporeans “are not having enough kids of our own”, with the resident workforce already at “full employment, and growing older”.
This is why immigration is “essential – even existential – for Singapore’s survival”, Mr Lee said.
Firstly, Singapore needs new citizens to “top up our numbers” and “keep our economy growing”.
Secondly, new citizens bring “something extra” – they enrich our society and invigorate our economy “in ways beyond what numbers can show”, he added, noting:
New arrivals bring fresh experiences, diverse perspectives, and global connections. You help us to plug into the world, and thrive as a regional hub and a global node.
Citing “great centres of culture and prosperity” like London, New York and Shanghai, he said they became like that as they attract “enterprising and adventurous people from all over the world”.
Source: Mike Stezycki on Unsplash
In the same way, Singapore must also “be open to ideas and talent from around the world” to create “a more vibrant economy”.
On the other hand, if Singapore closes up, “opportunities will pass us by”, Mr Lee said, adding:
We will fall behind, and become just like any other city in the region, and our descendants will be the worse off for it.
But Mr Lee acknowledged “some tension” between new citizens and existing citizens, saying:
Immigration is a sensitive issue in every country.
For example, immigration has deepened the divisions in many European countries due to the “overwhelming” scale and immigration efforts that haven’t kept pace, triggering pushback.
He noted that Singapore’s inflows “are not small either”, with about 22,000 new citizens taken in every year.
This is about 8,000 less than the about 30,000 Singaporean babies born per year, which remained below that level even during last year’s Year of the Dragon.
Thus, it’s “crucial” that Singapore manages its immigration inflow carefully, Mr Lee said.
We do this, for example, by monitoring relations between ethnic groups, and between new arrivals and those already here.
But all new arrivals and existing citizens also have to play their part.
He urged new citizens to make the effort to integrate into society, and other Singaporeans to welcome new citizens and help them fit in.
He also called on citizens to “firmly reject” those who play up nativist and xenophobic sentiments for political gain.
These “will do great harm to our society”, he added.
Watch Mr Lee’s full speech here:
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Featured image adapted from MDDI via Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook.