However, the foreign spouse in Singapore can seek legal aid from
Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and
Itinerant People (ACMI).
Please read the article appended below first.
INTER- AGENCY TEAM LOOKING
INTO INTEGRATION ISSUES OF FOREIGN SPOUSES
When the Government last month signalled its intention to help
Singaporeans and their foreign spouses remain here together and
form stable families, it seems that work was already under way to
look into issues faced by foreign spouses.
An inter-agency team had reached out to at least one
non-government organisation (NGO) and received proposals from it on
how foreign spouses could be given more support.
The team was trying to gain a better understanding of challenges
faced by foreign spouses in integrating here, TODAY understands.
Such teams are formed to look into various issues as part of
policymaking and reviews.
The proposals it received included making marriage preparation
courses mandatory for all transnational couples before they could
solemnise their marriages, providing them with resources like
language courses at minimal cost and extending pro bono legal aid
to Long TermVisit Pass holders.
They were made by the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral
Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI) in January, its
Executive Director Jeremy Khoo told TODAY.
Marriages between Singaporeans and non-citizens have increased
over the years, with about 9,000 such marriages last year.
Based on the population census of 2010, an estimated 114,000
married couples comprised a citizen and non-citizen; 86 per cent of
the non-citizen spouses were permanent residents and the remainder
were here on passes such as the Long Term Visit Pass, Deputy Prime
Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a written parliamentary reply in
January.
Several Members of Parliament last month spoke about their
constituents’ spouses facing difficulty securing long-term passes,
permanent residency or citizenship.
Mr Teo had said that the Government wants to “facilitate such
couples to remain together in Singapore and for them to form stable
families who would contribute in a positive way to Singapore”.
The help required by foreign spouses — mainly women from
countries like Việt Nam, Thailand and the Philippines, in
ACMI’s experience — depends on their
situation at home, Mr Khoo said.
In the absence of marital conflict, the challenges mainly centre
around language, immigration and employment issues.
But if conflict arises, they would often need advice and legal
help.
Besides equipping transnational couples for married life, the
marriage preparation course should include information on where
foreign spouses can seek help if the union breaks down, as such
situations can leave them in a lurch, he said.
ACMI is the only group here offering free
legal aid to foreign spouses, said Mr Khoo.
The Legal Aid Bureau — a department under the Law Ministry — as
well as the Pro Bono Services Office of the Law Society of
Singapore both generally require those seeking help to be either
Singaporean or a permanent resident here, according to their
websites.
Cases involving foreign spouses can be complex and long-drawn,
said Mr Khoo.
ACMI’s foreign spouses casework has
increased in recent years, from 23 in 2010 to 38 last year.
A recent case involved a 37-year-old Indonesian woman who had
married a Singaporean in Batam in 2004.
They registered the marriage at the Syariah Court in
Singapore.
She divorced him in 2011 in Batam when he was imprisoned here
for drug abuse but could not obtain custody of their daughter, a
Singaporean, without her husband’s presence.
In Singapore, ACMI Senior Executive
Officer Elizabeth Tan accompanied the woman to the Syariah Court,
which directed them to civil court for child custody.
ACMI also found a restaurant job for the
woman and appealed to the Manpower Ministry when her work permit
application was initially rejected.
The appeal succeeded last month.
“Her daughter is schooling in Singapore,” said Ms Tan.
“Hopefully being gainfully employed, when the time comes, she
may be considered for a Long Term Visit Pass.”
http://vietnamcentre.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/i…
ACMI Casework
Our casework services include providing social/legal assistance,
counseling and befriending services to migrants. Through our
casework we also provide research data towards advocacy and
awareness on migrant issues that will assist in solving the
exploitation of migrants. In addition we network with Embassies,
Government Offices (MOM, FSC, MCYS, etc.),
NGOs and other groups that have resources to assist
migrants/itinerants in their needs beyond ACMI’s capacity. These include the Catholic Lawyers
Guild, Catholic Medical Guild, Good Shepherd Sisters, Clarity,
Family Life Society and others.
Employers who are facing difficulties with their foreign workers
can also contact us.
http://www.acmi.sg/node/12
http://www.acmi.sg/
