Question:

Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of stateless residents living in Singapore as of January 2019; (b) out of this group of residents, how many are stateless permanent residents; and (c) what is the Government's roadmap to help this shrinking group of residents to attain their citizenship.

Answer:

1. As at 31 December 2018, there were 1,303 stateless persons living in Singapore. 80% of them are Permanent Residents (PRs).

2. Some of these stateless persons came from other countries to live and work in Singapore, and lost their foreign citizenship over time. Others were born in Singapore but were not eligible for Singapore Citizenship (SC) at birth as their parents were not Singapore Citizens and did not obtain citizenship for their children from their home country.

3. Stateless persons can acquire SC on the same basis as other applicants. They will need to meet the relevant requirements, such as economic contribution, education qualification, family profile and length of stay in Singapore.