Trend and Impact of Singaporeans Marrying Foreigners
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the trends and implications of Singaporeans marrying foreigners as raised by Dr Lim Wee Kiak. Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin noted that citizen-non-resident marriages declined to 27% by 2015, while the proportion of women marrying non-residents rose. The Ministry monitors these unions and has introduced support measures since 2014 to help couples manage cross-cultural differences and integration. These include the Marriage Preparation and Support Programmes, which provide resources and help non-resident spouses adapt to life in Singapore. Furthermore, the Friendship Programme utilizes bonding activities and volunteer buddies to strengthen these families and their community ties.
Transcript
42 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the trend over the past five years on Singaporean men and women marrying foreigners; (b) what is the impact of this on the future of Singaporean society; and (c) whether any in-depth study has been done on the implications of such marriages.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The proportion of marriages between Singaporean Citizens and Non-Residents declined slightly between 2011 and 2015. Of all marriages involving at least one Singapore Citizen, the proportion of Singaporean Citizens marrying Non-Residents decreased from 30% in 2011 to 27% in 2015. Among these marriages, the proportion of Singaporean men marrying Non-Residents decreased from 80% in 2011 to 75% in 2015, while the proportion of Singaporean women marrying Non-Residents increased from 20% in 2011 to 25% in 2015.
My Ministry studies the outcomes of marriages between Singapore Citizens and Non-Residents regularly and reviews our support measures accordingly. We recognise that these marriages create Singaporean families and are part of our society. As some of these marriages may face unique challenges, we have introduced marriage programmes since December 2014. These programmes help couples in such marriages manage cross-cultural differences as they settle down in Singapore, and strengthen their marriages. They include the Marriage Preparation Programme offered before marriage, and the Marriage Support Programme for newly-weds, which provides information on available community resources and assists Non-Resident spouses in adapting to life in Singapore. In addition, the Friendship Programme supports these couples through family bonding activities, support group sessions, and pairing of volunteers to Non-Resident spouses as "buddies".