Speech by Minister Indranee Rajah at Launch of the Transnational Family Care Programme

Pro Bono SG Chairman, Mr Gregory Vijayendran
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good afternoon. It is wonderful to see efforts from the community to deliver care for families who might require assistance. I am glad Pro Bono SG and South Central Community Family Service Centre have launched the Transnational Family Care programme, which will provide support for transnational families and foreign spouses who are in need.

In recent years, about one-third of citizen marriages involved a Singapore citizen marrying a non-citizen. That is not surprising given that Singapore is a global city, and our citizens often meet and interact with those from other countries. Some of them eventually become their significant other and spouses. Among these foreign spouses, some may have grown up here or have been working in Singapore for some time. Others may be newcomers to Singapore.

These families add to the diversity of our population. They have made Singapore their home and are contributing to our society. Many of them have children who are Singapore citizens.

Transnational families are not a new feature to our society, but what’s new is the numbers. They are growing. They could be our relatives, our friends, our neighbours, or even our own families. As Singaporeans, all of us play a role in welcoming these new members of Singapore families and supporting them to integrate into our society.

At the national-level, the Government supports Singaporeans in starting and raising families and forge a strong Singaporean citizenry – this includes targeted grants and subsidies to ensure that housing, preschool and education, and healthcare remain accessible and affordable for all Singaporean families. But there are challenges which are unique to transnational families, such as cultural integration and emotional support, especially for those who are new to Singapore.

The Government works with the community partners to help transnational couples build a strong foundation for their marriages and better integrate into our society. For example, there are Transnational Family Support Programmes, such as the Marriage Preparation Programme, Marriage Support Programme, and Friendship Programme, provided by the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s partners to help foreign spouses adapt to Singapore, and importantly to ensure marriages are strong. Because if the marriages are strong, they will have less need for help and social assistance.

But there are some groups of foreign spouses who require more assistance. For instance, some foreign spouses undergoing divorce proceedings may not be able to afford their own lawyers. They may require legal assistance, along with other social support suitable for their unique and challenging circumstances. When I was at Ministry of Law, I would speak to the judges and the judges will also tell me that they could deal with the legal parts, but they couldn’t deal with the social parts. You need to have a place where they can integrate and bring the different strands together. This Transnational Family Care programme will fulfil that role.

Community partners play an important role in supporting such groups in need. This new Transnational Family Care programme is a good example of how community partners can enrich our support ecosystem. Through their close ties with the community, they are agile in responding to emerging needs. They can pool expertise and resources, and guide their beneficiaries with their extensive ground experience and insights.

The Transnational Family Care programme fills the gap for transnational families who require a holistic socio-legal support but do not qualify for national legal aid schemes. We all heard how important having legal advice, knowing how to navigate the legal system or just knowing the law is, and this is why this is such an important programme.

Today, the South Central Community Family Service Centre hosts “The Inclusive Fund”, an initiative which provides healthcare, education and support to transnational families who do not get enough formal support for various reasons.

Under the new “Transnational Family Care” programme, Pro Bono SG’s community lawyers will be deployed to the South Central Community Family Service Centre, to provide legal guidance and representation to transnational families in need.

Pro Bono SG and South Central Community Family Service Centre will work closely with other community partners like Family Service Centres, to get these families the holistic support they need.

I applaud and support these efforts, and I thank Pro Bono SG and their partners for extending help to these families in need. Just two years ago, Pro Bono SG launched the Family Justice Support Scheme, which provides pro bono representation for matrimonial matters to foreign spouses with Singaporean children. All these efforts add up. Such partnerships between community partners are essential in creating a cohesive and inclusive society where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We want the children in transnational families to do well, so they can support their parents and they themselves will be able to realise their own potential.

To conclude, the Government will continue to support and work closely with community partners and organisations to provide assistance to those among us who need help. As a society, we need everyone to work together to uplift and support the lives of the people around us. I look forward to more community efforts as we navigate a changing world together.

Thank you.