The government of Singapore has said in a newly-published white paper that it expects the city state to welcome an extra 1m overseas nationals by 2030.

Overseas workers would top-up the workforce in a country with an ageing population and low birth rate, according to ‘A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore’, available online.

The projected arrival of new overseas workers would see the overseas population reach 2.5m, up from the 2012 figure of 1.49m. The total population of the country would be between 6.5m and 6.9m by 2030, up from the current 5.3m level.

One of the advantages of bringing in overseas workers, the report says, is providing “a buffer for Singaporean workers during recessions” – in the 2001-03 downturn and the more recent global financial crisis, foreign worker employment fell while resident employment grew.

Overseas workers are also seen as a valuable human resource in caring for the country’s ageing population.

But the report cautions: “If we take in too many immigrants and foreign workers, we will weaken our national identity and sense of belonging, and feel crowded out of our own home.”

Part of the paper is a section ‘Encouraging marriage and parenthood’, with the government saying “we need to shape our whole society to foster a pro-family culture where starting and raising a family are central to our life choices and fulfilment”, and recommending “more sharing of parental responsibilities between husband and wife”.

• As reported by recruiter.co.uk last week, another Far Eastern economy with migration weighing heavily on the mind of local recruiters and employers is Taiwan, according to a survey from recruiter Michael Page.