Singapore and Immigration.

Nov 12th 2009 SINGAPORE The Economist print edition
A PR problem: Immigration becomes the hot political issue in a model city-state

Statistical Extract:
"Faced with an ageing population and low fertility, Singapore’s government has long courted foreigners to plug gaps in the workforce. In 1990, citizens made up 86% of Singapore’s 3m people. Today, the share is 64% of 5m-odd. More than one in three people are foreigners (permanent residents, known as PRs, and non-residents)"

"High immigration has coincided with a widening income gap. Singapore’s Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, rose from 0.444 in 2000 to 0.481 in 2008—higher than in China and America. The contrast between the glitzy downtown and the “heartlands” is glaring, and more damaging in tiny, dense Singapore than it would be in a big country, says Paulin Straughan of the National University of Singapore."


The above caught my eye while reading the mag, more even so with the picture caption wrote by The Economist - "A bit too exotic for Singapore’s comfort?" Many have complained that these immigrants treat Singapore like a transit lounge, enjoying the privileges without the responsibility such as serving NS.

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I reserve my comments on politically challenged issues.