Migration and Singapore: Implications for the Asia Pacific

Abstract

A crude hypothesis is that the wider the spatial inequalities in wages and incomes, accompanied by trade, capital and technology flows and globalization, the more significant is migration. The challenge in the Asia Pacific region is to unravel and synthesize the sociopolitical, legal and institutional aspects with the help of better theoretical and empirical inputs. This case study of Singapore shows that it has managed to balance sociopolitical sensitivities with economic and even demographic objectives. However, the model is not easy to replicate as the control mechanisms combine levies and quotas for foreign workers and strictly meritocratic criteria for emigrants. The policy implications and recommendations include more research and cooperation to strengthen the statistics and information and more government-to-government effort to regulate and expedite migration.