Rising number of Singaporeans seeking asylum reflects deeper political and civil concerns

Data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reveals a sharp increase in the number of Singaporeans seeking asylum, with 322 individuals recorded by June 2024 alone. This mid-year figure already surpasses totals from previous years, suggesting that by the end of 2024, the number could rise further. In contrast, the number of refugees from Singapore under UNHCR’s mandate has remained relatively stable, with 40 recorded in 2024. However, this stability does not necessarily reflect a lack of need but may instead highlight the challenges many asylum-seekers face in obtaining refugee status.

The process of securing refugee status is notoriously difficult and involves rigorous scrutiny of applicants' claims. A notable example is the case of Lee Hsien Yang (LHY) and his wife, Lee Suet Fern (LSF), who applied for asylum in the United Kingdom in 2022. Their application took two years to process, with the UK finally granting them refugee status in August 2024. This lengthy and thorough review illustrates the complexities involved in proving a well-founded fear of persecution, particularly for high-profile individuals. The UK asylum system is known for its impartial and stringent evaluation, and the couple’s eventual success suggests that UK authorities deemed their fears of political persecution credible. Despite the stable number of recognised refugees from Singapore, the growing number of asylum applications suggests underlying political and civil tensions. The difficulties in obtaining refugee status—such as demonstrating specific forms of persecution based on political opinion, race, or religion—may explain why more Singaporeans have applied for asylum than have been granted it. This disparity highlights the challenges of navigating the asylum process, even for individuals with legitimate claims of persecution. Moreover, the official figures on asylum-seekers may only tell part of the story. Figures, such as Terry Xu, Editor of The Online Citizen, have left Singapore due to fear of political persecution but have not formally sought asylum. Xu, who was sued for defamation by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and jailed for criminal defamation over the publication of statements alleged to accuse cabinet members of corruption, has relocated to Taiwan to continue his work free from state interference. His example suggests that the number of people leaving Singapore for political reasons may be significantly higher than the 322 asylum-seekers documented by UNHCR, as many exiles opt not to go through formal asylum channels. Looking at Singapore's past, the 2013 documentary To Singapore, With Love by filmmaker Tan Pin Pin provides historical context on political exiles. Many of these exiles fled the country due to political persecution in the 1960s and 1970s, and now live in countries like Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Thailand. Through interviews, Tan highlights their enduring emotional ties to Singapore, despite being unable to return due to fears of arrest or prosecution. The Singapore government banned the film domestically, citing concerns that it undermined national security. Nevertheless, To Singapore, With Love remains a powerful testimony of how political dissent has historically led to forced exile, offering a historical backdrop to the current wave of Singaporeans seeking refuge abroad. The film underscores the continuity of political suppression, suggesting that today's asylum-seekers are part of a longer history of citizens being pushed to leave the country. While Singapore is seeing a rise in the number of its own citizens seeking asylum abroad, the country itself does not provide a legal framework for protecting asylum-seekers who arrive on its shores. Singapore has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, leaving those fleeing to the country vulnerable to refoulement—or deportation back to their home countries. From 2019 to 2020, the UNHCR documented cases where individuals were denied entry into Singapore and deported without their protection needs being assessed, further highlighting the challenges faced by those seeking refuge in Singapore.

Growing oppressive environment in Singapore

Concerns about civil liberties and political freedoms in Singapore are underscored by recent human rights reports. The 2024 Rights Tracker report by the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) gave Singapore a score of 7.3 out of 10 in the "Safety from the State" category, indicating that many people are vulnerable to human rights violations such as arbitrary arrest or ill-treatment. Singapore’s score in "Empowerment" was even lower, at 4.2 out of 10, reflecting serious limitations on civil liberties, including freedom of speech, assembly, and association. These scores suggest that many Singaporeans do not fully enjoy the political freedoms expected in a democratic society, possibly contributing to the rise in asylum applications. Reporters Without Borders has also consistently classified Singapore as having a "very bad" press freedom environment since 2020, ranking it similarly to nations with severe media restrictions, such as China. Government control over the media, frequent defamation lawsuits against journalists, and sedition charges used to silence critics have created a culture of self-censorship. Additionally, the 2019 "anti-fake news" law, Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, has expanded the government’s power to control information, allowing authorities to mandate corrections on any content they deem false. The rising number of asylum-seekers and political exiles points to broader concerns about Singapore’s civil and political rights environment. Despite the government’s insistence that legal actions against individuals like LHY are legitimate and not politically motivated, the UK’s decision to grant LHY and LSF asylum after a thorough two-year process adds weight to claims of political persecution. The UK’s impartial asylum process, which found the couple’s fears credible, further highlights these concerns. The increase in asylum applications also reflects wider frustrations in Singapore, where citizens are increasingly contending with rising living costs and economic pressures. Although Singapore remains globally respected for its economic success, many Singaporeans are becoming more aware of the gradual erosion of civil liberties and political freedoms. High-profile cases like that of LHY and LSF, along with individuals like Xu who have left Singapore, have brought this issue into sharper focus. Much like frogs in boiling water, Singaporeans may not have noticed the gradual tightening of freedoms until rising living costs, restricted civil liberties, and political tensions made the situation critical. The asylum granted to LHY and LSF serves as a stark reminder of these mounting pressures on civil liberties in Singapore.