SINGAPORE: Some foreign wives on long-term visit passes are finding that life is fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. Putting their Singapore-born children through school, food on the table, a roof over their heads, or even just staying in the country - these are just some of daily battles they face.
Family Service Centres (FSCs) which MediaCorp spoke to are seeing an increase in the number of foreign wives seeking assistance.
According to the
FSCs, the husbands of some of the women seeking help have either died or
are in jail. Others have been abandoned by their husbands.
While
these woman can find employment as work permit holders, many are not
equipped with the skills or qualifications to meet the requirements.
There are no official statistics but their increasing numbers are a concern.
Voluntary welfare organisation Yong-En Care Centre has seen 11 such cases this year. There were none last year.
Yong-En
Care Centre's executive director Trevor Tan said: "Education (for the
children) becomes very challenging because these families are poor.
Language is (also) an issue. I've seen some of them ... and when you
speak to them in English, they don't understand what you're saying."
Mr
Tan added: "The child could be five or six years old. They should be in
preschool and they could be learning English to start off with.
Otherwise, when they start school, they will be greatly disadvantaged."
Apart
from giving the foreign wives who come to the centre for help up to
S$60 each month, Yong-En Care Centre offers English classes for them and
free tuition for their children.
When contacted, the Ministry of
Community Development, Youth and Sports said that it does not require
FSCs to track the number of such cases. Still, the ministry works
closely with agencies to "keep abreast of developing trends and ensure
that vulnerable groups receive the necessary assistance".
Social
workers told MediaCorp that more men were marrying foreign brides and
some do not have the means to support their wives and children. They
noted that a greater awareness of assistance at FSCs could also have
contributed to the increase in the number of such cases.
'Cases are just tip of the iceberg'
Sociologists
Tan Ern Ser and Paulin Straughan point out that the lack of
cross-cultural understanding between the woman and her husband and
in-laws can severely strain the marriage.
The language and
cultural barriers could result the foreign wives feeling isolated and
make them totally dependent on their husbands. When the relationship
sours, these women have no choice but to turn to formal channels for
assistance.
FSCs typically offer emotional support and
counselling, sourcing for crisis shelter and alternative accommodation
as well as education on legal rights on matters such as immigration,
housing, divorce and personal protection orders.
But sourcing for
financial assistance is limited as financial aid goes mainly to
citizens or Permanent Residents, said Mrs Sara Tan, director at Hougang
Sheng Hong FSC.
Nevertheless, these women can seek financial help
through their Singapore-citizen children but "often times, the
assistance period is not long", said a PPIS Family Service Centre West
spokeswoman.
The spokeswoman added: "We believe that what we see
at FSCs is just the tip of the iceberg. There may be many more who may
not want to seek help from agencies due to various reasons."
For
instance, some of them worry that their difficulties could result in
their permanent residence application or social visit pass extension
being denied, said PPIS.
Others worry that their husbands may be
annoyed with them for seeking help. And if their husbands divorce them,
they may have to leave the country and be separated from their children,
said PPIS.
Social workers believe that allowing these women to work would provide a long-term solution towards financial independence.
Associate Professor Straughan urged that PR be made an option for foreign wives with children.
She
said: "When a foreign bride stays in a marriage long enough to have
kids, we should also give them the necessary support to grow a stable
family."
When contacted, the Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority (ICA) reiterated that marriage to a Singapore citizen "does
not automatically qualify a foreigner for long-term stay, permanent
residence or citizenship in Singapore".
It added: "Foreign
spouses of Singaporeans may still submit an application for long-term
stay in Singapore for the ICA's consideration even if their Singaporean
spouses pass away.
"Each application for immigration facilities
is carefully assessed on its own merits and ICA will advise the
applicant accordingly."
-- TODAY
PRs should be granted for foreigners who marry locals. The local must be at least a third generation Singaporean.
The problems lies on the singaporean man divorced or die. Hence, leaving the foreigner wife without any surviving skill. They do not have 0-level. That why they complaints.
To me, i feel they are only 2 ways. Either she go find a job to work or go back to their country to live. If not how, i dun think the government will feed them for free.
Example, Vietnamese do not posses any N-level level min. Dunno how to speak english or speak little. Husband divorce or die. How you expect her to survive in SIngapore. If china national, know chinese still ok as Singapore is a Chinese Society.
which slave trader brought them here to populate?!
wait til me and my mates hear about this.
A lot of my friends married China gals. My friends are all true-blue Singaporeans, their wives should be granted PRs immediately. They already have children also.
Maintaining a job is hard enough, at least solve the residency problems for them so that their children can go through gov administrative huddles easily.
People like that will stay, although personally, I hope they migrate to better places.
The policy is right. Foreign wives should qualify on their own merits.
If they are educated and qualified, they can get citizenship or PR on their own.
If they are NOT educated and qualified, Singapore still gives you freedom to live with them here.
If the husband dies or abandons them or goes to jail, they are unable to survive on their own, better for them to go back. Otherwise what else can they do without sometimes even language skills? Sell themselves?