Hostility Towards Immigrants in Singapore

Global Issue: Hostility towards immigrants

Immigration is a highly debated and controversial topic in today's global community.

According to a survey, more than 6 out of 10 Britons believe that immigration to the UK is negatively impacting the quality of life. This belief may be due to the perception that the increase in immigrants would result in more competition in the labour markets.

Another reason may be due to the perception that immigrants are an additional burden on the welfare system of the country. According to American Economist George Borjas, in the States, immigrants are receiving a disproportionately large share of the welfare benefits distributed. This has led to the native population questioning the cost to benefit ratio of immigrants as well as their effects on social security.

In Australia, a survey carried out stated that 1 in 3 native Australians admitted having racist feelings against immigrants. Such feelings may stem from the accumulation of international political events, poorly informed public debates and sensationalist media treatments.

In Singapore’s context

Immigration has become a very sensitive topic in Singapore, with increasing coverage in the local media since the 2011 General Election, where the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) saw its share of the votes drop to its lowest level since independence. This may have been largely due to local opposition towards the government’s liberal immigration policies. In this report, I will be discussing how this global issue affects Singapore.

In May 2012, an accident involving a speeding Ferrari driven by a Chinese expatriate and a local taxi driver reignited the debate about immigration here, highlighting many Singaporeans’ resentment towards foreigner living and working in Singapore. The spate of online comments and media reports expressing anger