Debated in Parliament on 14 Oct 2024.
Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the current number of stateless residents who have lived in Singapore for more than 20 years; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider granting citizenship to stateless seniors who have resided in Singapore for over 20 years.
As of 31 December 2023, we know of 853 stateless persons living in Singapore. But this number could vary for the reasons given below. The data on their length of residency, however, is unavailable because of the different circumstances under which they may become stateless.
For example, some have chosen to give up, or had lost their foreign citizenship, at some point during their stay in Singapore. Others were born in Singapore to foreign parents who did not obtain citizenship for them. We may come to know of their stateless status only when they surrender to or are referred to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Given that there are such cases, we would not have precise data on how many stateless persons there are and the precise period for which they have been stateless.
Applications for Singapore citizenship, including those submitted by stateless individuals, are evaluated on a range of criteria. These include the conduct and contributions of the applicant, links to Singapore, including if they have family members who are Singaporeans, and how long they have been in Singapore. The circumstances under which the person became stateless would also be taken into consideration.
As one of the world’s smallest and most densely populated countries, we must be highly discerning as to whom we grant citizenship. Hence, we carefully consider all applications for citizenship, on a case-by-case basis.
PAPERCUTS