Singapore's Stance on Syrian Refugees

3 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what has been Singapore's position regarding Syrians who have been forced to flee from their homeland; and (b) what is the Government's assessment on what should and can be done at an international level to provide assistance to those who have been left behind in exceedingly difficult circumstances.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mdm Speaker, the ongoing Syrian conflict is a tragedy. Over 220,000 Syrians have been killed. Four million have been forced to flee, and many millions more internally displaced. It does not appear that there will be any resolution soon.

Our sympathies are with the Syrian people. But as a small densely packed, crowded city-state with limited land, Singapore is not in a position to accept any persons seeking refugee status, regardless of ethnicity or place of origin. This is a long-standing, indeed decades-old, Government policy. In fact, as demonstrated by recent events in Europe, even much bigger countries with substantially more resources at their disposal are now having great difficulty handling the huge influx of refugees into Europe.

Mr de Souza has also asked what should be done at an international level to provide assistance for Syrians who remain in Syria. The answer is that there needs to be a political solution to end the conflict definitively. Initiatives such as the recent meetings of the International Syria Support Group are certainly a step in the right direction, given the participation of key stakeholders, including, if I may add, that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We were also encouraged by the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which laid out a roadmap for a political settlement in Syria. However, achieving this in reality on the ground is much harder than talks and resolutions.

The situation in Syria has become extremely challenging and dangerous. Terrorist groups such as Jabhat Al Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have exploited the chaos in that area in order to establish control over territory and resources. Syria has become the epicentre for extremism and violence, and this is becoming an international phenomenon. Therefore, any eventual solution is of great interest to the rest of the world but, ultimately, it has to take into account the internal political dynamics within Syria. There also needs to be a clear strategy to deal with the terrorist groups that pose a clear and present global menace, including to us here in Southeast Asia, in Singapore, as the Senior Minister of State Mr Desmond Lee has just elucidated.

These difficulties, however, should not detract from the need for the international community to promote a political solution, and to facilitate humanitarian aid to those who need it most.

Singaporeans who wish to help to alleviate the suffering of Syrians can contribute by donating to legitimate, humanitarian charity organisations that provide emergency relief and rehabilitation support, such as the Singapore Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation started by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or MUIS. In fact, this foundation supports the Temasek Education Centre in Kilis, Turkey that currently provides education for hundreds of displaced Syrian children.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for his comprehensive answer. I appreciate the limitations and I would just like to ask whether between now and a political solution to all of these, what more can be done for the suffering women, men and children in besieged cities, such as Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor, in the form of perhaps ration drops or fly-in drops, orchestrated by the international community? I also do appreciate the limitations involved but I think a great deal of moral support, at least attempting to do so, will go a long way for these people in besieged cities.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I thank Mr de Souza for his sympathies for the people. As I had said before, this is a tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes. We will continue to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as legitimate humanitarian groups that I outlined earlier. Unfortunately, that is the limit of what we can do right now until a political solution and peace is achieved within that fractured country, and in the region as a whole. In fact, so long as there is instability there, and so long as Syria remains a hotbed attracting extremists and terrorists, or would-be terrorists, from all over the world, including us, we remain at risk.