Singapore, despite being a young city-state, is already facing the societal effects of a rapidly ageing population. Government statistics show that the proportion of residents aged at least 65 years grew from 7 per cent in 2000 to 13 per cent in 2017. Immigration has the potential to offset the consequences of population ageing by contributing to the workforce in essential services; however, many advanced economies are facing the twin challenges of an ageing population and public hostility towards immigration. While this may seem perilous, experts think the time is ripe to fire up the conversation surrounding this conundrum.Immigration is commonly perceived to be a key culprit taking away good jobs that could be filled by locals, and hence, it is often deemed undesirable. It also creates concerns that a country — especially in a land-scarce city-state like Singapore — will become more crowded and less liveable. But is this really the case? Associate Professor Elaine Ho offered her views. “Confronted with an ageing population along with slower population growth, it is crucial that researchers and practitioners of ageing reconsider their emphasis on the proximate care networks of older people by incorporating closer attention to the increasingly global and transnational contexts of ageing and aged care,” she said.

NUS News, 7 May 2019