Creating a Society of “Desirable Immigrants”

Processes by Which the Basic Immigrants and Immigration Control System was Introduced into Singapore before World War I

抄録

This paper examines the processes through which systems for controlling immigration and the movement of people were introduced in Singapore from the beginning of colonization up to World War I. Specifically, these processes are divided into three categories: (1) introduction of a quarantine system, (2) introduction of an immigration and immigrant control system under the pretext of protecting workers, and (3) enactment of the Exclusion Ordinance of 1905 and related ordinances. By focusing on these three processes, it reveals that this gradual development also meant that Singapore switched from its policy of broadly accepting immigrants based on the laissez-faire principle. It also examines the characteristics of these processes in comparison with migration and immigration systems in other regions.