Singaporeans encouraged to accept expats more

Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Song has encouraged locals to tolerate foreigners more than they currently do, amid worries that failing to do so may hit the country’s reputation overseas.

He said on Sunday in an address to the city-state that he is concerned that there appears to be growing anti-foreigner feelings in Singapore. He acknowledged that Singaporeans should have the right to express their feelings or disagree with immigration trends and policies, but pointed out that it’s the “nasty” ways that some of the views are expressed which concerns him.

He went on to explain that these feelings are often expressed anonymously online and can reflect badly on Singapore’s international reputation. He added that these views can affect the way people view the state and lead to people being of the belief that Singapore is against foreigners and xenophobic.

Singapore has been a popular place to live and work among foreigners for many years, but it has also been very dependent on workers from overseas to contribute towards its economy and offset its low birth rate. The last 10 years have seen an even greater number of people immigrating to the island state and estimates indicate that roughly 36 per cent of the population is now expats.

However, this has resulted in Singaporeans becoming more and more angry as they contend with house prices increasing and less job opportunities.