• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

AWARE urges equality and inclusion for foreign wives on this year’s International Migrants Day

by Martha Soezean
14/12/2016
in Civil Society
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

Photo of Immigration at Changi Airport from Shutterstock

In view of International Migrants Day on 18 December, AWARE has released a policy brief highlighting key laws and policies that discriminate against the foreign spouses of Singapore citizens, with particular impact on the foreign wives of citizen men.

Entitled ‘Home, truly: respect the rights of foreign wives’, the policy brief makes five key calls to ensure the inclusive and equitable treatment of foreign spouses of Singapore citizens:

  1. Grant the LTVP+ to all spouses.
  2. Grant the right to work to all spouses.
  3. Grant healthcare subsidies to all spouses (currently available only to LTVP+ holders).
  4. Grant PR to all spouses: who have been on the LTVP+ for three years;who have citizen children, or whose spouse dies, whichever is soonest. Citizenship should be available to those foreign spouses who have held PR for a clearly defined and transparently published period of time.
  5. Ease housing access through clear, timed routes to PR (see above), and allow citizens married to LTVP+ holders to access public rental housing.

“Singapore declares itself pro-family and our leaders emphasize the need for citizen-migrant integration,” said Jolene Tan, Head of Advocacy & Research at AWARE.

“Yet our policies make it hard for poorer transnational families – often citizen husband-foreigner wife couples – to fulfill basic needs like stable residence, employment and housing,” Ms Tan said.

The policy brief is critical of the idea that the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment, introduced in late 2014, is an adequate response to the difficulties faced by families.

“What does the state expect couples who are told they won’t get the LTVP to do?” asked Jolene Tan. “The right to family life includes the right to freely choose a spouse, regardless of nationality or wealth. We can’t justify denying people stable family lives just by telling them about it in advance. Migration policy should prioritise family ties over economic utility.”

AWARE stated, over the past two years, AWARE’s Support Services Helpline received 220 calls from foreign wives contemplating or going through divorce. More than a quarter (26 percent) were facing immigration issues while 21 percent were facing domestic violence. A large proportion (87 percent) were seeking legal advice when they called.

“Our Helpline experience suggests that immigration status is a pressing issue,” said Ms Tan, “This is further complicated in situations of domestic violence. Most of the callers need legal advice, which is not easily accessible.”

Throughout human history, migration has been a courageous expression of an individual’s will to overcome adversity and to live a better life. Today, globalization, together with advances in communications and transportation, has greatly increased the number of people who have the desire and the capacity to move to other places.

Taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, on 4 December 2000 the General Assembly of United Nations appointed 18 December as International Migrants Day.

On 18 December 1990, the General Assembly adopted the international convention on the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.

Last year on the International Migrants Day, Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General said in his message, “2015 will be remembered as a year of human suffering and migrant tragedies.  Over the past 12 months, more than 5,000 women, men and children lost their lives in search of protection and a better life.  Tens of thousands more have been exploited and abused by human traffickers.  And millions have been made into scapegoats and become the targets of xenophobic policies and alarmist rhetoric.”

“But 2015 was also a year in which the global community underscored the important contribution of migrants to sustainable development.  With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders vowed to protect the labor rights of migrant workers, combat transnational criminal human trafficking networks, and promote well-regulated migration and mobility,” he said.

For those who need assistance, AWARE helpline is  1800 777 5555.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud
Business

Market ignores Adani’s 413-paged rebuttal against Hindenburg’s allegation and continues the sell-off

01/02/2023
Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal
Singapore

Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal

01/02/2023
One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash
AFP

One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash

31/01/2023
Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats
AFP

Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats

31/01/2023
Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race
Japan

Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race

31/01/2023
Malaysia PM stressed the need for people to be allowed to effectively and actively participate in civil society
Malaysia

Malaysia PM stressed the need for people to be allowed to effectively and actively participate in civil society

31/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Market ignores Adani’s 413-paged rebuttal against Hindenburg’s allegation and continues the sell-off

01/02/2023
Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal

Driver dies after vehicle fell into sea at Keppel Terminal

01/02/2023
One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash

One pilot dead after Vietnamese military fighter jet crash

31/01/2023
Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats

Japan and NATO pledge ‘firm’ response to China, Russia threats

31/01/2023
Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race

Japanese junior high school sprinter breaks another record in prefectural race

31/01/2023
Malaysia PM stressed the need for people to be allowed to effectively and actively participate in civil society

Malaysia PM stressed the need for people to be allowed to effectively and actively participate in civil society

31/01/2023
Million-dollar overpayments made by various ministries, public agencies highlighted in sampled audit by Auditor-General Office amongst various lapses

Singapore ranked least corrupt country in Asia, fifth in the world

31/01/2023
China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call

China angered by new Czech president’s Taiwan call

31/01/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
19

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
66

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
58

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

December 2016
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Nov   Jan »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz