Debated in Parliament on 7 Apr 2026.
Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in view of the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, whether the Ministry can provide an update of the measures to assist Singaporeans there, including consular outreach, personal safety guidance and potential evacuation assistance.
Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in light of the escalating conflict in the Middle East (a) how many Singaporeans are currently registered as residing in or travelling within affected countries in the region; (b) what contingency plans are in place for a possible mass evacuation should the situation worsen; and (c) how is the Ministry supporting Singaporeans who have chosen to remain there.
When the conflict in the Middle East deteriorated and commercial flights were halted in March 2026, the Singapore Government mounted four repatriation flights from Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah to bring stranded Singaporeans home. Our overseas Missions organised 13 overland bus journeys to ferry Singaporeans in the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait to the repatriation flights. In total, 618 Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and their dependants were repatriated. The spare seats on the flights were offered to 84 foreign nationals from Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
More than 2,000 Singaporeans who eRegistered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) remain in the Middle East currently. Our overseas Missions remain in close contact with them and provide updates on the local situation. With the resumption of commercial flights, there are no current plans to mount additional repatriation flights.
MFA's Travel Advisory for the Middle East remains valid. We urge Singaporeans to defer all travel to the region.
PAPERCUTS