Japan and Singapore: Immigration Change Process, Essay Example

Immigration policies have a tremendous effect on countries all over the world.  It has been established that immigration policies are “laws, rules, measures, and practices implemented by national states with the stated objective to influence the volume, origin and internal composition of immigration flows” (Czaika and de Haas). Through these policies, countries can achieve different economic, political, and societal goals. For instance, immigration policies can be established to increase, decrease, or maintain current migration patterns. In some cases, immigration policies are designed to “change the composition of migrant flows in terms of countries (or regions) of origin” (Czaika and de Haas). This type of control is important to most countries because it allows them to control what classification (asylum seekers, laborers, students, etc.) are admitted to the country. Through this level of control, the immigration policy can have a tremendous impact on the country’s economy.

It is noted that immigration policies can overlap in order to achieve different objectives. Furthermore, these policies can be exceedingly broad in nature. Due to the broadness of immigration policies, the countries selected for analysis are Japan and Singapore. These two countries were selected to illustrate significant differences in country makeup, as well as their unique effect on immigration policies. The most significant differences between Japan and Singapore are within their individual economies (E-Jay). For instance, Japan’s economic growth was slow for the past two decades and, as of 2011, was besieged by economic stagnation. In contrast, as of 2011, the economy in Singapore was strong and thriving (E-Jay). It is believed by many that the differences in the economies are largely related to the difference in immigration policies.

The remainder of this paper is divided into five major sections. The first two sections provide background information of both Japan and Singapore, including a brief history of each country and information regarding their individual economies and governments. The third section discusses the similarities and differences between Japan and Singapore in greater detail. The final two sections discusses the immigration policies of both Japan and Singapore, including a brief history, proposed changes, challenges faced, and the results of the changes to the immigration policies. It is believed that this will allow for the study to be organized in the most efficient manner and each country will receive the most efficient analysis.

Background Information of Japan

Decades of civil warfare occurred in Japan prior to 1603. However, after this time, a long period of “political stability and isolation from foreign influence” allowed for the country to continue to strengthen (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). This period lasted for more than two centuries. As a result, Japan was able to develop a strong cultural background. In 1854, Japan began modernizing and industrializing the country due to signing the Treaty of Kanagawa. As a result of this strength, Japan was able to defeat China and Russia during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. At one time, the country “occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). During 1931 and 1932, Japan occupied Manchuria. Following this, in 1937, Japan invaded China. One of the most significant invasions occurred due to the attacks on US forces in 1941, which caused the US to enter World War II, allowing Japan to focus on occupying the majority of East and Southeast Asia (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”).

Following World War II, Japan began establishing itself as an economic power. However, there was a major slowdown of the Japanese economy during the 1990s. This was compounded due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. As a result of these two events, there were tremendous consequences to “the country’s economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). Since this time, the country has begun establishing a variety of economic and security reforms that are aimed at improving the economy and the standing of the country internationally (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”).

Following World War II, Japan established itself as an economic power through becoming technologically advanced. The post-war economy was characterized by two things: “the close interlocking structures of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, known as keirestu, and the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). However, these features are not as prominent due to increased global competition and demographic changes. Since the industrial sector has been crippled due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it has “become heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). Although the country has experienced economic growth after 2000, it has experienced four recessions since 2008. This was initially caused by “a sharp downturn in business investment and global demand for Japan’s exports in late 2008” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). The country began recovering in late 2009 and early 2010 through government stimulus packaged. The economy, unsurprisingly, took another significant downturn after the earthquake and tsunami, due to the disruption in manufacturing. The government established a sales tax increase, which helped the country’s economy to recover. However, reconstruction efforts have been limited due to labor shortages. As a result, the current government is focused on “an economic revitalization agenda of fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, and structural reform” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”). This has proven to be successful because in 2014, Japan was the fourth largest economy in the world (Central Intelligence Agency, “Japan”).

Background Information of Singapore

In 1819, “Singapore was founded as a British trading colony” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). However, in 1963, it became part of the Malaysian Federation. Two years later, Singapore became independent. As a result of its independence, “Singapore subsequently became one of the world’s most prosperous countries with strong international trading links” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). Part of this is because the country has one of the busiest ports in the world and its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) rivals that of “the leading nations of Western Europe” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). Importantly, the economy is based on a free-market structure. As an added advantage, Singapore’s market contains “a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). While unemployment is quite low, the economy is dependent upon exports. These exports are mostly in “consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). Like most of the world, Singapore was affected by the global recession. However, it rebounded in 2010 due to renewed exports. In 2014, the economic growth was slower due to the European recession. In response, the government is focused on increasing growth through raising productivity. Furthermore, the country “has attracted major investments in pharmaceuticals and medical technology production” (Central Intelligence Agency, “Singapore”). It is expected that these initiatives will increase Singapore’s standing internationally and, especially, within Southeast Asia. This will allow the country’s economy to continue expanding in a positive way.

Similarities and Differences between Japan and Singapore

When considering economic differences, it is noted that Japan’s GDP is higher. However, Singapore’s per capita GDP is higher. Furthermore, Singapore has a very low unemployment rate. Despite this, Japan’s current balance is higher than Singapore’s (“Japan vs Singapore”). In fact, Japan’s GDP is $5.88 trillion, whereas Singapore’s GDP is $273 billion. However, since 1990, Japan has experienced a multitude of growths and declines within its GDP, whereas Singapore’s GDP has remained stable throughout the same time period. Due to these fluctuations, Japan’s GDP growth rate is 2% while Singapore’s GDP growth rate is only 1.3% (“Japan vs Singapore”). However, Singapore’s GDP per capita is almost double that of Japan’s at $60,800 to Japan’s $35,900. Although there have been some fluctuations within Singapore’s GDP per capita, it has largely continued to grow since 1990. In contrast, Japan’s GDP per capita has suffered fluctuations and was on a downward trend as of 2010. As such, Japan’s GDP per capita growth rate is only 1% while Singapore’s GDP per capital growth rate is 2% (“Japan vs Singapore”).

Immigration Policy of Japan

Currently, Japan has the highest government debt at 238% of its GDP (Matthews). As a result, it is unsurprising that the country slumped into another recession during 2014. The government believes that another fiscal stimulus package will help revitalize the country. However, economists disagree. In fact, a number of economists argue that “Japan is in a depression, driven primarily by its quickly shrinking population … A shrinking population translates to fewer workers, fewer consumers, and less overall demand, all while a growing elderly population puts strains on government budgets” (Matthews). It is argued that Japan has a cultural aversion to immigration. Currently, Japan’s population is expected to decrease by 19 million people by 2050 and a severe labor shortage will ensure. Despite this knowledge, Japan does not “allow any permanent, legal immigration” (Matthews). However, the country has become increasingly aware of its looming problems. As a result, some restrictions have been lifted, “allowing a few thousand healthcare workers from select countries, like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, to enter the country and work towards long-term residency status” (Matthews). Despite this, immigration policies have not been successful in revitalizing the economy. In fact, after the 2011 recession, Japan was more averse to allowing immigration (Matthews).

However, the country did eventually consent to the establishment of an immigration policy that “welcome[s] highly skilled foreign professionals like researchers and skilled workers while strongly regulating the entry of unskilled labor” (Nakatani). The country has had difficulties attracting immigrants. This is because “Japan has few features that can be considered appealing to foreigners as a migration destination, including a highly homogenous country with a language barrier that makes it difficult for migrants to have a rich social life” (Nakatani). This has led to the establishment of a points system in 2012, based on Australia’s system. With this plan, points were calculated according to a variety of factors. It was planned that those with points higher than 70 would have relaxed restrictions, allowing them to bring “household help or parents with them” (Nakatani). This plan failed, causing the government to attempt to relax the restrictions even further.

When asked about immigration, the prime minister stated “in countries that have accepted immigration, there has been a lot of friction, a lot of unhappiness both for the newcomers and the people who already lived there” (Soble). This has proven to be disheartening to those that wish to immigrate to Japan. However, there have been proposed changes regarding the current immigration policy of Japan. The proposed changes encourage those capable of filling labor shortages, commonly in low-wage jobs, and those that are skilled professionals and technical workers, to immigrate to Japan through a relaxed permanent residency plan (Soble).

Despite the negative view against immigration, beginning in 2006, Japan has been forced to acknowledge that “their long-cherished sense of ethnic homogeneity may be untenable under the forces of globalization and changing domestic needs, including an aging population and growing labor shortages” (Kashiwazaki and Akaha). However, there have been arguments regarding how many immigrants to allow in the country. Despite this, since there are concerns regarding national security and terrorism, the Japanese immigration policy is still rigid. Regardless, “at the end of 2004, 1.97 million foreign nationals were registered in Japan, accounting for about 1.6 percent of the total population (127.69 million) and representing a 1.3 percent increase from 1.7 million in 2000” (Kashiwazaki and Akaha). Although these numbers have increased, the country remains closed to asylum seekers (Kashiwazaki and Akaha). Therefore, it is concluded that Japan has a “selective immigration policy,” which has decreased the amount of immigration possible in the country. However, it is believed that the most effective immigration policy would “aim at a society of inter-culturalism, which accepts different cultures and makes use of their [Japan’s] comparative advantages” (Hagiwara).

Immigration Policy of Singapore

Singapore has an expansive immigration history. In the 1900s, there was little immigration control. During this time, the ability to work dictated where workers were. The first efforts at immigration control was in 1919, known as the Passengers Restriction Ordinance, which was designed to “control the arrival of newcomers” (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority). The next effort occurred in 1933 with the establishment of The Aliens Ordinance, which was designed to provide a quota for entering aliens into the country. Later changes occurred during the 1950s. However, one of the most significant was the Immigration (Prohibition Entry) Order of 1953, which was designed to stop immigration. This order ruled that only Singapore citizens could enter the country. However, immigration was allowed again, starting in the 1960s. In the 1970s, stronger and more comprehensive immigration security was developed. In fact, Singapore “made rapid progress tightening immigration control measures in the late 1970s and early 80s” (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority). These improvements continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Immigration allowed Singapore to grow significantly until 1942, when “immigration temporarily ceased during the Japanese occupation of 1942 to 1945, and Singapore’s road to self-governance in the 1950s and 1960s saw the passing of new ordinances that limited immigration to only those who could contribute to its socioeconomic development” (Yeoh and Lin). Immigration did not truly begin again until the 1980s. However, it has grown by leaps and bounds since this time.  In fact, “the nonresident population increased at an unprecedented pace in the first decade of the 21^st century, according to the 2010 Singapore census. During this period, it accounted for 25.7 percent of the total population, up from 18.7 percent in the previous decade. As of 2010, the nonresident population stood at 1,305,011 out of a total population of 5,076,732” (Yeoh and Lin). However, following the global recession, immigration has decreased. Despite these changes, the economy has remained stable (Yeoh and Lin).

This is because “Singapore has built its economic strength on the back of immigration” (Asian Century Institute). However, the country has faced considerable challenges due to its immigration policies. As of 2014, it is predicted that “Singapore’s population could rise by 30% to 6.9 million, with immigrants making up nearly half that figure” (Asian Century Institute). According to locals, immigrants are why the cost of living is so high. Furthermore, Singapore is considered to be the most open country to immigration than other countries. However, as Singapore “accepts more and more migrants, a growing number of Singaporeans themselves are leaving Singapore” (Asian Century Institute). As a result, the native population is decreasing while the foreign population is increasing. This has led to an increase in racial tensions (Fenn). This is due to the fact that foreigners “make up around two out of five residents. This has put a growing strain on jobs, housing and infrastructure, and raised fears about the dilution of the Singaporean national identity” (Fenn). However, it has been commonly argued that Singapore needs to increase its immigration policy to allow more people in order “to offset the country’s falling birth rates and support its booming economy” (Yin). As a result, it can be concluded that Singapore and Japan have very different immigration policies. Despite this, one common theme has emerged: neither country currently wants immigration to occur due to increased pressure on the existing conditions of the individual countries.

Works Cited

Asian Century Institute. “Singapore’s Migration Dilemmas.” N.p., 2014. Web.

Central Intelligence Agency. “Japan.” The World Factbook. N.p., 2015. Web.

—. “Singapore.” The World Bank. N.p., 2015. Web.

Czaika, Mathias, and Hein de Haas. “The Effectiveness of Immigration Policies: A Conceptual Review of Empirical Evidence.” 2011: 1–26. Print.

E-Jay, Ng. “Japan versus Singapore: Why Our Economic Direction Is Unsustainable.” Sgpolitics.net. N.p., 2011. Web.

Fenn, Mark. “Singapore’s Foreigner Problem.” The Diplomat. N.p., 2014. Web.

Hagiwara, Risa. “Desirable Immigration Policy for Japan: Based on a Survey of Economic Empirical Analysis.” 2014: n. pag. Print.

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. “History of Singapore Immigration.” (2015): n. pag. Print. “Japan vs Singapore.” N.p., 2015. Web.

Kashiwazaki, Chikako, and Tsuneo Akaha. “Japanese Immigration Policy: Responding to Conflicting Pressures.” Migration Policy. N.p., 2006. Web.

Matthews, Chris. “Can Immigration Save a Struggling, Disappearing Japan?” Fortune. N.p., 2014. Web.

Nakatani, Iwao. “Drastic Change in Immigration Policy off the Japanese Election Agenda.” East Asia Forum. N.p., 2013. Web.

Soble, Jonathon. “Japan Stands by Immigration Controls despite Shrinking Population.” FT.com. N.p., 2014. Web.

Yeoh, Brenda, and Weiqiang Lin. “Rapid Growth in Singapore’s Immigrant Population Brings Policy Challenges.” Migration Policy. N.p., 2012. Web.

Yin, David. “Singapore Needs Immigrants, Says Jim Rogers.” Forbes. N.p., 2013. Web.