on Jul 23rd, 20081000 Singaporeans Give Up Citizenship Every Year
Sure, we’re attracting alot of foreign talents, but are we losing our local talents to other countries that give them more than just a sense of security?
After all, this sense of security is very important to the older generation. A secure job, no natural disasters, a safe neighborhood, good education, peaceful lives. I believe the surge in migrating Singaporeans show that this is not what the current generation needs. We want to explore this “freedom” that western countries have been propagating for years, we want to venture into the unknown, routes that might not always be the safer bet or give any form of guarantee.
In the past, people that did well academically would usually chose to study courses like Law, Accountancy, Medicine etc. Yes, many smart youngsters are still choosing to go into these fields that would more or less give them a financially secure future. However, I’ve also noticed many people are choosing to study liberal Arts subjects like theater, dancing, music. With local Universities and Polytechnics opening more courses in Arts, Social Sciences and the Liberal Arts, I guess the market has spoken. Perhaps, Singapore is heading towards the direction where money isn’t everything anymore, aka, we won’t sell our souls for money?
1,000 S’poreans give up their citizenship each year, in the last three years
Posted: 21 July 2008 2352 hrs
SINGAPORE: In the last three years, an average of 1,000 Singaporeans gave up their citizens each year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said their reasons for doing so vary, and these range from marriage to foreigners, to yearning for a different environment.
Most of them took up new citizenship in countries in Southeast Asia, the United States and Australia.
Mr Wong gave this update in reply to a written question from Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim.
She had asked how many Singapore citizens emigrated from Singapore in the last three years, the countries they emigrated to and their reasons for doing so.
Mr Wong said those who emigrate generally do not declare this to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority when they leave.
So the only available data which gives an indication of the number of emigrants from Singapore is the number of Singaporeans who have given up their citizenship and left Singapore. -CNA/vm
