Emigrants from Singapore vote with their feet when fatigue from Covid occurs

“The government is working hard to ensure that businesses and individuals continue to choose Singapore because of our openness, rule of law and policy coherence,” he said in January. Tan See Leng, Minister of Labor.

But difficulties in recruiting foreign talent to replace those leaving are combined with a perceived decline in local talent, the second biggest concern noted in a British Chamber study.

“We follow the employment data for each vacancy and the average number of applicants for the vacancy is definitely decreasing. This reduction is almost entirely explained by the reduction in the number of foreign applicants, “they wrote.

The changing environment has had a strong impact on Singapore’s diverse foreign workforce, which accounts for a fifth of the population.

“I worked in Singapore for a few years, but I couldn’t bring my family here. I tried in all possible ways, but luckily, the government never approved the dependents, ”said Venu Prakash, India’s IT project manager.

“I missed my 3-year-old daughter and haven’t seen her in a good two years,” he said. “In December 2021, I left Singapore forever and found a much better job in Bengalur.”

Singapore’s tough approach to fighting Covid has tested the level of comfort for foreigners. While some have proved too draconian and others welcome, most agree that the once dazzling lifestyle of expatriates is gone and may not return.

Nathalie, a French expatriate who has lived abroad for 25 years, said she enjoys freedom after returning to France. “The Singapore we knew no longer exists,” she said.

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